As everyone involved with local government will know very well, change is often the only constant. Certainly our business plan for 2011/12 reflects substantially changed circumstances for our member authorities across the capital and for London Councils as an organisation. Despite these circumstances, London Councils’ core purpose has not altered. We remain committed to helping London local government successfully shape London as both a world class capital city and its localities. We continue to aspire to be an influential lobbyist and advocate for boroughs; a catalyst for effective sharing between boroughs; and the provider of a set of well defined services to Londoners and London organisations on behalf of our member boroughs. This business plan sets out our over-arching work themes in 2011/12 alongside the specific work programmes that will underpin them.
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Business Plan 2011/12 (PDF, 6,104Kb)
http://www.londoncouncils.gov.uk/aboutus/corporatepublications/businessp...
PDF version London Councils analysis of welfare reform changes in the capital
An estimated 133, 000 households in London will be unable to afford their rent if proposed changes to the welfare system go ahead as planned, according to new research published today.
London Councils, the umbrella organisation for London’s 33 local authorities, commissioned independent research to examine how the government’s plans to overhaul the benefits system will affect the capital.
The Government has outlined its intention to save £7bn a year, and provide more incentives for unemployed people to return to work, by replacing a range of welfare entitlements in the UK with a single benefit known as Universal Credit (UC).
As part of these proposals, the total amount that workless households across the country will be able to receive in benefits will be capped. This cap is expected to be £350 a week for single person households and £500 for all others - the median household earnings in the UK.
The report published today, “Does the cap fit? An analysis of the impact of welfare reform in London,” suggests that these changes are likely to significantly impact on households in London, because the government’s policy takes no account of higher housing costs in the capital.
Researchers looked at both the impact of the UC cap, and changes to the Local Housing Allowance (LHA), which will reduce the amount of housing benefit available to private sector tenants. By looking at the records of more than 480,000 households receiving housing benefit across 24 boroughs, they have uncovered a detailed picture of the impact on affordability of housing in London.
http://www.londoncouncils.gov.uk/news/current/pressdetail.htm?pk=1406
Cross-Whitehall Review of Statutory Duties - London Councils Response
London Councils has responded to the Cross-Whitehall Review of Statutory Duties. London Councils welcomes the review but has warned the acid test will be whether it is used as a practical step in a more ambitious process leading to tangible decentralisation and devolution to local government and communities. The organisation believes that the general presumption should be that all duties be abolished unless there are compelling reasons not to remove them.
Read the full response to the Cross-Whitehall Review of Statutory Duties below.
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http://www.londoncouncils.gov.uk/policylobbying/londonmatters/publicatio...