citizenship theme A: paying for local services Flashcards
what are factors that affect the allocation of money in local services?
1) Priority spending on key areas such as education and social care.
2) Trading off other areas of spending to create funds for priority spending.
3) Targeting for needs specific to local areas
what are the sources of income for local councils?
1) council tax
2) Business rates
3) Central government grants
4) Income from charges and fees
what are the 5 key facts about council tax?
1) Council tax is collected by district, borough and unitary authorities.
2) The amount a council can collect as council tax is set by central government and can be capped.
3) A proportion of this money is collected for county council services such as the police and fire service , and for town or parish council services such as maintenance of parks.
4) Every household must pay council tax, with costs based on home value.
5) The revenue collected by council can vary, as more affluent areas pay more than deprived areas.
What are 5 key facts about business rates?
1) The amount of business rates paid is determined by the open market rental value of the buildings they operate from.
2) Central government sets business rates.
3) Under the local government finance act 2012, local councils were given the power to keep half of the business rates collected in order to encourage new businesses, perhaps by regenerating a shopping area to attract new retailers.
4) The other half of the money is given to central government and distributed nationally as grants to councils depending on need.
5) If businesses such as shops close down and no longer pay rates, the amount reduces.
What are 5 key facts about central governments grants?
1) Central government provides grants to local government each financial year.
2) Some of the funds allocated are for services which must be provided, such as education and social care.
3) The money given to each local authority is calculate on area needs.
4) Austerity plans in recent years saw a 37% reduction of local government grants between 2010 and 2015.
5) Local councils therefore have to plan carefully where their funding will be spent.
What are 5 key facts about council charges and fees?
1) Councils can make charges and fees for some council charges and fees for some council services.
2) These could include parking fees on council land and for bulky refuse collection.
3) Charges could include admission to local leisure centres, for example.
4) Some councils charge rent for a stock of council or social housing, though they also have responsibility to maintain them to a ‘decent home’ standard.
5) There are services that councils are not allowed to charge for, which includes education, elections, standard refuse collection, and libraries.
