Report - London Borough of Hillingdon

Libraries & Cultural Services: £21k overspend (no change)
55 There have been a number of smaller items that were identified by managers within
Cultural Services earlier in the year and managers have been asked to absorb those costs.
Within the Leisure Facilities Team, this includes being able to absorb pressures because the
trend in income across the service is up and it is currently expected to break even. There
remains a risk, however, that the trend will not be sustained and this will be monitored in
future months.
56 The £21k pressure in One-Stop services remains due to potential difficulties with the
receipt of income from a single user.
Directors Services: £30k overspend (no change)
57 The forecast overspends are £30k for Directorate Support Team costs arising from
the work supporting Joint Area Review, Children’s Services reorganisation plans and Annual
Performance Assessment.
Social Services and Housing Department £920k overspend (£910k adverse)
58 The Social Services and Housing net overall forecast for Period 6 has moved
adversely by £910k primarily due to significant demand pressures in Housing Benefit
services, Looked After Children, and in Social Care packages for vulnerable people. There
is also continuing concern that LBH will be unable to recover all costs incurred in supporting
UASC Asylum spend.
59 The Housing forecast has moved adversely by £236k (Housing Benefits) due to a
revised projection of costs following an increase in the Benefits caseload and consequent
Benefit payments to claimants.
60 The forecasts reflect the action plan reported to Cabinet on 8th September which
totalled £1.17m of management action, and the individual Service projections now reflect the
full achievement of these savings with the exception of Learning disability which is detailed
below. The remainder of the £1.17m is being covered by use of a contingency sum of £950k
set aside for the Housing Benefit Subsidy claim. The M5 report set out the risks of this
strategy.
61 The pressures on Social Services reflects the national pressures on both children
services and services to vulnerable adults as evidenced in national research jointly
undertaken by ADSS, LGA and Local Government Treasurers Association. Officers
continue to explore further options for spending reduction building on the progress to date on
delivery of the current action plan. The impact of this will be factored into the M7 forecast
and reported to the December cabinet.
62 The pressure on Housing benefits is as a result of a number of factors, e.g. since
2003/04 Benefit payments have increased from £90m to the current forecast of £108m. In
common with other Authorities the cost for individual claims has risen due to rent increases
in the private and public sector, Council Tax increases, and changes in Benefit Regulations
which have increased personal allowances, premiums and disregards taken into
consideration when calculating HB & CTB. In addition there has been an increase in the
numbers of benefit claimants: from 18,310 (2001) to 19,823 (2005). The national take-up
PART 1 – MEMBERS, PUBLIC AND PRESS
Cabinet report 10 th November 2005 Page 247