AN extra £20m worth of cuts has been unveiled that will further slash services, including adults’ social care and children’s centres.  

Last year the Oxfordshire County Council announced £64m of cuts over the next four years. One year in,  it has proposed to cut another £20m.

An extra £9.2m will be cut from adult social care services as Oxfordshire County Council leader Ian Hudspeth said around half of their budget is spent on just two per cent of the population.

Another £3m will be cut from the provision of care for children and families, including savings to be found in the council’s early intervention service.

That is on top of cuts last year of £7.1m to adults’ social care and £6m to children’s services.

Mr Hudspeth said: “The council is facing unprecedented budget pressures from the rising cost of care and this pressure is expected to continue for years to come.

“Two per cent of the population accounts for around half of the budget and it is the most vulnerable and needy - older people, people with physical and learning disabilities, and vulnerable children.

“We have a legal responsibility to provide this care and we willingly provide it. However the rising cost regrettably means other services valued by the majority of residents such as roads and public transport are being squeezed.

“We have to make sure we have a good, balanced budget.”

A proposed further £2.05m will be cut from subsidised transport services. Another £1.5m will be saved by paying staff costs for big projects from the council’s capital budget, rather than the revenue pot.

 

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