Ctaxbook-babergh PDF - Babergh District Council

Babergh District Council
Babergh
Council Tax and financial information
How we spend your money
services, plans, discounts, exemptions and benefits
Publication produced in partnership by:
Information
included

Contents
Where your Council Tax goes 2
Babergh District Council 3
Suffolk County Council 8
Suffolk Police Authority 11
Who has to pay Council Tax 14
Your NHS 18
Contacts and translation details 20
2
Where your Council Tax goes
In 2012/13 people who live in Babergh will pay £48.2 million in Council Tax.
This money goes to the following…
■ Suffolk County Council gets £37.8 million (78.4 % of the total)
■ Suffolk Police Authority gets £5.6 million (11.6 % of the total)
■ Babergh District Council gets £4.8 million (10.0 % of the total)
These authorities also get money from the Government, from fees and charges
and from Business Rates to pay for the services they provide. Business Rates are
collected locally but put in a national fund before being given back to authorities.
The amount they get depends on the number of people living in their area.
The District Council collects the money on behalf of all the authorities.
What you pay for services
Suffolk
County
Council
Suffolk
Police
Authority
Babergh
District
Council
Total
Band This year This year This year Each week This year
A £751.02 £111.18 £95.91 £18.43 £958.11
B £876.19 £129.71 £111.89 £21.50 £1,117.79
C £1,001.36 £148.24 £127.88 £24.57 £1,277.48
D £1,126.53 £166.77 £143.86 £27.64 £1,437.16
E £1,376.87 £203.83 £175.83 £33.78 £1,756.53
F £1,627.21 £240.89 £207.80 £39.92 £2,075.90
G £1,877.55 £277.95 £239.77 £46.06 £2,395.27
H £2,253.06 £333.54 £287.72 £55.28 £2,874.32
If you have a parish or town council in your area, your final bill will also
include a contribution to them. Your bill will give you the full details.
The average total cost for a band D property is £1,503.77.

2012/2013
An introduction from Jennie Jenkins,
Chairman of the Strategy Committee
at Babergh District Council
Meeting our communities’ future needs, today
Dear householder,
We know that the thud of a Council Tax statement and booklet may not be
the most welcome sound in the world.
Yet we hope that the information in this particular pack at least tells you
clearly what Babergh District Council has been up to – and how that was
funded - in 2011/12, plus our budget plans for the next year.
Babergh continues to face unprecedented financial cutbacks, at the very
time when our communities are expecting more and better outcomes from
us. Over the next three years, with the amount of money we receive from
the government being scaled back, we have to find £3.5m in savings.
For 2012/13, Babergh has tried to strike a balance between finding savings
and protecting services. This is why we decided to increase our part of the
Council Tax bill by 3.5% - equivalent to 9p a week extra for a Band D
property. This was a difficult decision made by councillors after a number
of proposals were considered.
Our broader response to these challenges has been both to change the
way we do things and work together more closely with Mid Suffolk District
Council – but not to merge into one council. A majority of those residents
across both districts who voted in last year’s local poll said they didn’t want
that. We respect that vote.
We are starting to realise major savings by joining together our workforce
with Mid Suffolk to reduce duplication and get the best value from our
staff’s skills and expertise.
Since May 2011, we have had a shared chief executive and now operate
with a combined management team. We are well on the way to completing
3

the process of having one overall single staffing structure and so are on
course to achieve savings of £1.3m per year across both district councils.
We do – and will - remain two separate councils and that does mean that
there are some differences as to how we address issues among our
communities and how we have bridged our respective 2012/13 budget gaps.
As we strive to find the savings required, a time of cutbacks does not
mean all important initiatives that benefit our communities must stop.
We want to be even more responsive to the demands of our communities
and one of the ways we are doing this is transforming how we work;
to be more flexible and available to work with residents in finding
solutions to their issues.
Two of our increasingly important priorities relate to the sustainability and
growth of the local economy and the health and well-being of our
communities, especially as both Babergh and Mid Suffolk continue to
experience a growth in the number of older citizens.
In terms of the economy priority, we strive to do this in a number of
ways, through improving the flexibility of our directly provided services
such as planning and regeneration services (including those aimed at
improvements to the viability and vitality of Sudbury town centre) and
by our active support for initiatives such as Better Broadband for Suffolk.
Looking at the health and well-being of our communities, we are striving
to provide better access to healthier lifestyles, including the building of
everything from recreational facilities in our villages through Section 106
agreements to the construction of the new Hadleigh Community Facility.
So as two separate councils, our aims remain the same: to improve the
ways in which we help our communities’ future needs to be met – today.
4

2012/2013
Meeting our communities’ future
needs, today
Although Babergh and
Mid Suffolk District
Councils remain as two
separate authorities,
with two separate sets
of elected councillors,
we are working more
closely together by
sharing our staff to
improve the
responsiveness of
our services to our
communities, to widen
opportunities for
vulnerable groups
and at the same time
to make savings.
Babergh and Mid Suffolk are working together to deliver services
and help communities in an increasing number of ways
Here are just a few examples of what we have done in the last year:
■ set up the first joint housing board in the country, made up of councillors and
tenants from both districts, to oversee the running of 7000 council houses
■ redesigned the rounds of our brown bin scheme so the service to our nearly
17,000 customers is even more cost efficient – and a better service for customers
■ kept the two districts at the top of the Suffolk league table in terms of dry
recycling rates (42%)
■ started to redesign how our two planning teams can better serve our
communities
■ launched a project to produce a shared website that will make it easier for
residents of both councils to find the information and the solutions they are after
■ provided six apprenticeship places to give work experience to local
16 – 24 year olds
■ pulled together the two councils’ senior management team into one
streamlined unit which will result in savings of £700,000 per year by 2015/16
■ set up a joint revenues and benefits service between the two of us and
Ipswich Borough Council – providing £4m of savings over the next ten years.
5

Where the money comes from
Government grant and
other contributions
£27.8 million
Other
£0.5 million
Formula grant from
the Government
£4.1 million
Council Tax payers
£4.8 million
Parish and
Town Councils
£2.2 million
Fees and charges
£19.3million
How we spend the money
Total spending last year: £57.6 million. Total spending this year: £58.7 million.
Other services to the public
Total spending last year: £10.3 million
Total spending this year: £9.8 million
Parish and town
charges
Total spending last
year: £2.1 million
Total spending this
year: £2.2 million
Housing services
Total spending last
year: £35.2 million
Total spending this
year: £36.7 million
Culture and related services
Total spending last year: £1.8 million
Total spending this year: £1.9 million
Environmental
services
Total spending last
year: £5.3 million
Total spending this
year: £5.4 million
Planning and
development
services
Total spending last
year: £2.5 million
Total spending this
year: £2.3 million
Roads and
transport services
Total spending last
year: £0.4 million
Total spending this
year: £0.4 million
Budget summary
£'000
Budget Requirement 2011/12 9,466
Inflation and other cost pressures +750
Savings and additional income -1,102
Additional use of general reserves -84
Budget Requirement 2012/13 9,030
6

2012/2013
Parish and town councils spending more
than £140,000 in 2012/2013
2011/12 estimate 2012/13 estimate
Gross
Spending Income Net
Spending
Gross
Spending
Income
Net
Spending
£ (figures in thousands) £ (figures in thousands)
Sudbury Town Council
Cemetery £60 £51 £9 £80 £44 £36
Market £40 £79 £39 credit £41 £82 £41 credit
Town hall £153 £39 £114 £133 £33 £100
Other services £304 £161 £143 £396 £219 £177
General expenses £60 - £60 £45 - £45
Administration £288 £33 £255 £302 £35 £267
Contribution to /from
reserves *
£38 - £38 £20 - £20
Total £943 £363 £580 £1,017 £413 £604
Great Cornard Parish Council
Stevenson Centre £18 £17 £1 £24 £20 £4
Labour costs £70 - £70 £74 - £74
Public open spaces £27 - £27 £33 - £33
Lighting £18 - £18 £24 - £24
Other services £64 £10 £54 £55 £10 £45
General expenses £8 - £8 £10 - £10
Administration £15 - £15 £16 - £16
Contribution to reserves * £5 - £5 - - -
Total £225 £27 £198 £236 £30 £206
Hadleigh Town Council
Guildhall and Town Hall £48 £1 £47 £48 £1 £47
Sport and recreation £28 £2 £26 £30 £3 £27
Cemetery £25 £16 £9 £26 £18 £8
Other services £29 £1 £28 £34 £4 £30
General expenses £53 £6 £47 £54 £8 £46
Administration £107 - £107 £109 - £109
Contribution to reserves * £3 - £3 £3 - £3
Contribution to
swimming pool /
£29 - £29 £29 - £29
Management Fee
Total £322 £26 £296 £333 £34 £299
Other services include spending for each town or parish for allotments,
churchyards, footpaths, lighting, specific local community projects and so on.
* Note: reserves are amounts that are built up for use in future years.
7

Suffolk County Council
Introduction by Mark Bee
Leader of Suffolk County Council
I look forward to the coming year with optimism and hope.
As a county and an authority we face some significant challenges but we also
have many opportunities. With a solid foundation to build from we can make
a real difference for the people of Suffolk.
I have lived in Suffolk all my life and I am passionate about the county and
the people who live and work here. I am determined that 2012 is a strong
year for us all.
To help deliver on this we have set a county council budget that includes a zero
percent increase in council tax, makes the required savings whilst protecting
front line services - that is my number one priority.
Our financial challenges provide us with a real opportunity to look at the way
we work. We must examine how we deliver services and ensure that it is done
in the most efficient and effective way for the people of Suffolk. We have to
make sure that every penny spent is benefiting the tax payers of Suffolk.
It is also important that we look at ourselves. I have challenged officers to
maximise savings from management costs, bureaucracy, and efficiencies.
This is an area in which I will be pushing hard throughout 2012 and beyond.
At the end of 2012/13 I want to see a strong, practical budget being delivered,
to help provide financial stability for the county.
I also want to see improvements in economic prosperity, employment and the
transport network, Suffolk leading the way as the greenest county and tourism
levels continuing to increase. 2012 is also Olympic year and we are working
hard to maximise the benefits for the county.
We have a strong management team led by an excellent chief executive and a
political administration that is together and committed to delivering the very
best for Suffolk. We have excellent staff that work hard every day and with
strong support from our stakeholders, together, we can make a difference.
Towards the end of last year we carried out a major exercise listening to
communities across Suffolk. We will continue to listen throughout 2012 and
beyond to ensure we fully understand the priorities of Suffolk people.
Most of all it is my hope and intention that we as a county council do
everything possible to make Suffolk a better place and help create the
opportunities people need to improve their lives and the lives of their families.
8

Our spending plans
2012/2013
Our grant from government has reduced by £15.6m. This has meant savings
of £26.2m have been identified to compensate for this loss of grant and to
provide extra money for some unavoidable cost pressures. The savings include:
■ Improving efficiency and removing processes (including a 1.5% efficiency
saving across all departments) - £12m
■ Savings in adult care from more investment in prevention - £8m
■ Delivering savings agreed in previous years - £1.8m
■ Reducing management costs across the organisation - £1.5m
■ Reducing office space used - £0.7m.
In addition, a one-off fund of £7.3m has been set up to facilitate economic
growth. This will be funded from the one-off council tax freeze grant.
We also plan to spend £114.8m on capital projects. This includes £60m to improve
our schools which will help to deliver our priority to transform learning and skills in
Suffolk. It also includes £43m to maintain and improve the county’s transport and
waste disposal infrastructure. We are also funding projects to improve broadband
coverage across Suffolk and initiatives to help us be the greenest county.
Where the money comes from 2012-13 (£1,038m)
Contribution to
Reserves -£1m
Council Tax £290m
Government Grant £117m
Fees and Charges £93m
Formula Grant £177m
Dedicated Schools
Grant £362m
Where we spend money
Total Spending this year £1,038m Total Spending last year £1,104m
The main reductions in our spending are:
■ Spending transferred to Academies which are no longer part of the
county council £78.5m
■ Savings £26.2m
■ Reduced funding from reserves £4m
The main increases in our spending are:
■
■
Increase in grants, fees and charges £23.7m
Increased demand for council services and contingency £12.9m
■ Increased cost to provide services (inflation) £5.3m
9

Where we spend the money (£1,038m)
Corporate Resources (including
Property, Finance, HR, ICT,
Legal and Members Services)
Spending this year: £64.8m
Spending last year: £67.9m
Public Protection, Social
Inclusion & Diversity (including
Fire & Trading Standards)
Spending this year: £27.6m
Spending last year: £26.5m
Economy, Skills & Environment
(including Highways, Transport
and Waste)
Spending this year: £84.6m
Spending last year: £81.0m
Public Health
Spending this year: £5.4m
Spending last year: £5.7m
Capital Financing,
Corporate Contingencies
& Levies
Spending this year: £58.2m
Spending last year: £53.2m
Children & Young People (including
Childrens Care and Schools)
Spending this year: £536.6m
Spending last year: £603.3m
Adult & Community
Services (including Adult
Care and Libraries)
Spending this year: £260.7m
Spending last year: £266.4m
10

2012/2013
Suffolk remains a safe county,
with low crime levels.
By the end of December 2011, recorded crime in Suffolk had fallen by 1.1%
compared to the same time last year.
Local people feel safe too – with more than 93% saying in a survey that they
feel safe in the areas where they live.
But the challenge of maintaining our quality policing service has never been
more acute.
Your council tax contribution will help us provide a policing service at a time
when our government funding is being cut.
The Constabulary has embarked on a four-year programme of cuts. In 2012/13,
the Constabulary will face the toughest year of the programme, making cuts of
more than £7 million.
It must achieve these savings while continuing to offer a quality policing
service to local people and dealing with a range of operational commitments,
including events linked to the Olympics and Queen’s Jubilee.
Our role as a Police Authority is to secure an efficient and effective policing
service for Suffolk.
We will do this by monitoring not only the Constabulary’s performance in the
key areas of tackling crime and anti-social behaviour – but also its progress in
achieving the four-year programme of savings.
We monitor performance against key priorities contained in our Three-Year Plan.
Our main policing priorities for the year ahead are the following:
■ reducing levels of crime and anti-social behaviour;
■ improving the satisfaction of those who use our services and the confidence
of the public in policing;
■ sustaining the financial stability of Suffolk Constabulary; and
■ managing the increased operational demand in 2012 due to the Olympics,
Paralympics, Queen’s Jubilee and European football championships.
However, throughout the year, the Authority and Constabulary carry out a
range of consultation activities to inform the development of the plan – and
ensure that our service delivery is appropriate to communities across the county.
For more information about policing in your community, including details
about your local Safer Neighbourhood Team, visit www.suffolk.police.uk
11

The financial challenge facing the
Constabulary has grown
Originally, it was estimated
that the savings required for
the four years from 2011/12
were £13.6 million.
Since then, additional cost
pressures such as increased
inflation, particularly for
fuel, charges for national
policing services and
developments, and meeting
emerging operational
demands mean we now
estimate making cuts of
more than £17 million.
Last year, we made £4.7 million in savings. However, we are now faced with
the toughest of the four years, with a target of achieving over £7 million
during 2012/13.
The key way of achieving the savings remains collaboration with Norfolk
Constabulary. This year will see further collaboration of units within
Protective Services and Business Support, eliminating inefficiencies and
producing economies of scale.
We have just introduced a new local policing model which reduces the
number of management and supervisory ranks – but maintains the number
of constables and Police Community Support Officers working in our
neighbourhood and response teams, in line with the wishes of the public.
We will continue to make investments which help us become more efficient
in tackling crime.
For example, we are fitting our cars with mobile data terminals. These tablet
computers allow our officers to access our computer systems, wherever they
are in the county.
And we are looking to place more staff in our Force Operations Room
in response to an increase in 999 calls, ensuring we maintain our strong
performance in attending emergencies quickly and within target times.
We are entering a period of great change. In November, Suffolk Police
Authority will be replaced by a single elected Police and Crime Commissioner,
who will hold the Chief Constable to account for policing performance.
For more information about the work of the Police Authority, and the
introduction of the new Commissioners, please visit our website at
www.suffolkpoliceauthority.org.uk
12

Where the money comes from
Fees, Charges
And Interest:
£5.3m
Specific Grants:
£6.9m
Reserves:
£0.2m
Police Grant:
£42.8m
2012/2013
Council Tax:
£42.9m
Revenue
Support
Grant:
£0.5m
Where we spend the money
National Business Rates:
£26.0m
The net budget is £112.2m. This represents a decrease of 2.1% over 2011/12.
Police pensions
Spending last year: £11.6m
Spending this year: £11.6m
Police officers
Spending last year: £54.1m
Spending this year: £50.5m
Premises, equipment,
supplies, services and
transport
Spending last year: £23.8m
Spending this year: £27.5m
Support staff and community
support officers
Spending last year: £36.1m
Spending this year: £35.0m
The police's part of the council tax is rising by 3.75%. This means the charge for
a Band D property this year will be £166.77, a rise of £6.03.
The Police Authority has agreed a financial plan which will make multi-million
pound savings while securing police officer numbers in the future.
During the course of the year, the Constabulary will have to make more
than £7 million in savings – part of its plan to make cuts now estimated
at £17.7 million in the four years to 2014/15.
But your council tax contribution will help the police maintain an efficient
and effective service over the next 12 months and in the years ahead too.
The Authority made the tough decision to increase the police’s part of the
council tax by 3.75% - to maintain the resilience of Suffolk Constabulary and
its capability to provide a good quality policing service.
Your contribution will help set the Constabulary on a path to re-build and
maintain police officer numbers above 1200 - the minimum number it is
estimated can police the county without there being significant strains on
operational capability and quality of service.
13

Who has to pay
Council Tax
There is one Council Tax bill for each
home whether it is owned or rented.
In most cases, the person (or people)
aged 18 or over nearest the top of
the following list is responsible for
paying the tax:
■ Owner occupiers
■ Leaseholders
■ People who pay rent
■ Residents who have a licence to
occupy the property, for example,
people who live in tied cottages
■ Residents with no legal interest
in the property
■ Non-resident owners
Council Tax banding and
appeals
The amount of Council Tax you pay
varies depending on the band that
your property has been put into by the
Valuation Office Agency (VOA). The
VOA puts each property into one of
eight valuation bands based on open
market values at 1 April 1991.
Council Tax payers may appeal to the
Valuation Office against the banding
of their property:
■ When a property is demolished
■ When physical changes in the area
affect the value of the property
■ When a property is converted
into flats
Band Value at 1/4/91 Proportion
of band D
A Up to £40,000 6/9
B £40,001 to £52,000 7/9
C £52,001 to £68,000 8/9
D £68,001 to £88,000 1
E £88,001 to £120,000 11/9
F £120,001 to £160,000 13/9
G £160,001 to £320,000 15/9
H More than £320,000 2
You can appeal within six months of:
■ A valuation change to your property
made by the Listing Officer
■ A valuation band change to a similar
property to yours as a result of
a Valuation Tribunal decision
■ Becoming the new tax payer
Making an appeal does not mean you
can withhold payment of Council Tax.
If your appeal is successful, future
payments will be reduced and any
overpayments refunded.
Contact
If you have any queries regarding the
valuation or banding of your property,
or wish to appeal, please contact:
The Listing Officer
Council Tax East
Valuation Office Agency
Ground Floor
Ferrers House
Castle Meadow Road
Nottingham
NG2 1AB
Email: cteast@voa.gsi.gov.uk
Tel: 03000 501 501
Fax: 03000 500 975
Website: www.voa.gov.uk
14

Liability, exemptions and
discounts
You can appeal against the council’s
decision that you are liable for
Council Tax, that a property should
or should not be exempt, whether
a discount should or should not be
allowed, or any decision taken by
the council in relation to Council Tax
Benefit (please refer to section on
benefits for further details).
In the first instance, appeals of this
nature must be made in writing to
the address on your bill.
For benefit appeals, please write
to the Benefits Manager at the
same address.
Is my property exempt from
Council Tax
You may be entitled to an exemption
from Council Tax if your property is:
Unoccupied
A Empty and substantially
unfurnished and undergoing major
repair works or structural
alterations to render the property
habitable (up to 12 months only)
B Empty and owned by a charity
(exemption up to 6 months only)
C Empty and unfurnished (exemption
up to 6 months only)
D Left empty by a person in prison or
other form of detention
E Left empty by a person
permanently resident in a hospital
or care home
F Left empty where the liable person
has died and the deceased's
executors or personal representatives
are now liable (up to 6 months after
grant of Probate)
G A property where occupation is
prohibited by law
H Empty and held for occupation by
a minister of religion from which
to perform his/her duties
I
2012/2013
Left empty by a person receiving
care
J Left empty by a person providing
care
K Left empty by a student who
owns the property
L Unoccupied and in the possession
of the mortgagee
Q Left empty by a bankrupt where
the Trustee in bankruptcy is liable
R An empty caravan pitch or boat
mooring
T An unoccupied annexe unable
to be let separately
Occupied
M Halls of residence
N Occupied by full-time students and
non-British spouses of students
O Occupied by the Ministry of
Defence (MOD) for armed forces
accommodation (e.g. forces
barracks or married quarters)
P Occupied by a member of a relevant
visiting force (for example, the
United States Air Force)
S Occupied only by persons aged
under 18
U Occupied only by persons who are
severely mentally impaired
V A property which is the main
residence of a person with
diplomatic privilege or immunity
W An annexe occupied by certain
dependent relatives of the
resident(s) living in the main
property
15

Do I qualify for a discount
The full Council Tax assumes that
there are two or more adults living in
a property. If only one adult lives in a
property, the Council Tax is reduced by
25%. People in the following groups
may not be liable for Council Tax and
may not count towards the number of
adults resident in a property:
Full-time students and non-British
spouses of students, student nurses,
apprentices and Youth Training
trainees
Patients resident in a hospital
or care home permanently
People who are severely mentally
impaired
People who are staying in certain
hostels for the homeless or night
shelters
18 and 19 year olds who are at,
or have just left school and child
benefit is in payment
Certain types of care workers,
usually working for charities
People caring for someone with
a disability who is not a spouse,
partner or child under 18
Members of religious communities
People in prison or other forms of
detention
People with diplomatic privilege
or immunity
Members and dependants of
International Headquarters and
Defence Organisations
Members or dependants of visiting
forces
■
■
■
■
■
■
■
■
■
■
■
■
Please remember that if your
circumstances change, you must
tell us within 21 days. If you do
not, you may receive a fine.
Circumstances where other
discounts may apply
The Council Tax bill for a furnished
property that is no one’s main home
is reduced by 10%.
Some job related dwellings may
receive a 50% discount.
Reductions for the disabled
The Council Tax bill may be reduced
for properties which have a special
room set aside for the needs of a
resident disabled person. An additional
bathroom or kitchen required by the
disabled person or sufficient floor
space to allow the use of a wheelchair
indoors may also qualify.
The relief is the equivalent to
reducing the valuation band to the
one below, and ensures that disabled
people do not pay more because of
a need for extra space.
The reduction includes band A
dwellings.
If you think any of these may apply,
please contact your local authority.
Reminders and summonses
Everyone has the right to pay their
Council Tax by instalments, but you
must pay regularly and on or before
the instalment due date. If your
payments fall behind more than twice
in a year, you can lose that right.
We check accounts every month.
If you do not pay an instalment when
it is due, we will send you a reminder
asking you to pay it within 7 days.
If you do not pay after the reminder,
or it is the third time that you have
fallen behind with your payments,
16

you may lose your right to pay by
instalments. If this happens, you
will have 7 days to pay the balance
of your account (the amount
outstanding for the rest of the
financial year). If you do not pay your
account in full, we will send a court
summons for the outstanding
balance. Court costs will be added.
If you are having problems paying
your bill, tell us immediately. You
might qualify for a discount, or we
may be able to help by making a
special payment arrangement.
Benefit information
Do you struggle to pay your rent or
Council Tax If you are on a low income,
your council may be able to help you
with Housing and/or Council Tax Benefit.
Any Council Tax Benefit you are
awarded will be used by the council
to reduce your Council Tax bill. If you
are entitled to Housing Benefit, this
would be paid to you to pay your
landlord towards your rent.
You could get benefit, even if you are
working. However, if you have more
than £16,000 in savings or investments
you will not usually qualify. The
benefit awarded depends on:
■ The amount of Council Tax or rent
you pay
■ The needs of your family
■ Your income
■ Your savings
■ Anyone else who lives with you
Even if you have claimed before and
were unsuccessful, it may be worth
applying again. The figures used to
calculate benefit change each April,
2012/2013
this means you may now qualify.
DON’T DELAY – benefit can only start
once you have made your application.
If you find that you do not qualify, you
may be entitled to second adult rebate
if there is someone other than a partner
living in your home on a low income.
Any changes in your circumstances must
be reported to the council. Do not rely
upon any other agency to tell us.
If you would like more information or
a claim form, please contact your local
authority.
Benefit theft – Fraud prevention
Many people assume that benefit theft
applies only to those who are working
for ‘cash in hand’ whilst claiming Job
Seeker’s Allowance. This is not the
case. All benefit theft is a crime.
Benefit theft includes deliberately
not telling us:
■ You are now living with a partner
■ About any savings or not telling
us the right amount
■ Children have left home
■ You have started work, or about
any earnings
■ You have inherited money
■ You are going abroad, living
abroad or have changed address
There are no exceptions. People who
knowingly withhold information or
deliberately fail to report a change in
their circumstances are benefit thieves.
If you suspect someone of being a
benefit cheat you can report it by
telephoning the National Fraud
Hotline on 0800 854 440 or online
at: https://secure.dwp.gov.uk/
benefitfraud
17

Your NHS
18
NHS Suffolk and NHS Great Yarmouth
and Waveney, which is now part of
the NHS Norfolk and Waveney PCT
cluster, are responsible for buying NHS
services for people who live in Suffolk.
As well as helping you stay well by
leading a healthy lifestyle, they also
make sure safe and high quality
services are in place when things
do go wrong with your health.
Last year (2010/11) NHS Suffolk had
a budget of £915.96m and NHS Great
Yarmouth and Waveney had £404m.
This money was channelled into
hospitals, doctors’ surgeries, dentists,
opticians, ambulances and mental
health services. You can find out
more on the opposite page.
This year, NHS Suffolk has a budget
of £943m. The Great Yarmouth and
Waveney share of the NHS Norfolk
and Waveney budget stands at £412m.
In the future, GPs will take over the
responsibility for buying and
managing healthcare. Three groups
have been set up – in east and west
Suffolk and Great Yarmouth and
Waveney – to drive this work.
NHS information has been included
in this leaflet to tell you more
about services which are available.
Our services are not funded by your
Council Tax.
NHS services
Dentists
Over the last two years, NHS Suffolk
has invested almost £5m on improving
access to dental services, which means
there is an NHS dentist for everyone.
There is a clear pricing structure, with
an initial examination, x-ray and scale
and polish costing just £17. Treatment
is free for anyone aged 18 or under
and there are exemptions for people
on certain benefits.
Find a dentist:
■ In Suffolk – call 0800 389 6819
or visit www.suffolk.nhs.uk
■ In Waveney – call 01502 719501
or visit www.gywpct.nhs.uk
Smoking
Live Well Suffolk has been set up to
offer free help and advice to anyone
who wants to give up smoking
through group or one-to-one sessions.
Community health coaches are based
across the county and can offer
practical support, making you four
times more likely to quit successfully
than if you go it alone.
Get help to stop:
■ In Suffolk – call 01473 229292 or
visit www.livewellsuffolk.org.uk
■ In Waveney – call 0800 652 3477 or
text QUIT to 65000

PALS
The Patient Advice and Liaison Service
(PALS) is a free and confidential
information service which can:
■ provide details of your nearest GP,
dentist, optician or pharmacist
■ tell you where to get healthy living
advice, such as help to stop
smoking or eat more healthily
■ help resolve any problems or
concerns you have about NHS
services in the county
Contact PALS:
■ In Suffolk – call 0800 389 6819 or
email pals@suffolkpct.nhs.uk
2012/2013
■ In Waveney – call 01502 719501
or email gyw-pct.PALS@nhs.net
Out-of-hours
If you have a medical condition that
cannot be treated at home, you should
call your GP surgery (unless your
condition is life threatening). Outside
normal surgery hours you will be put
through to the out-of-hours service or
asked to call the service directly.
For urgent out-of-hours help:
■ In Suffolk – call 0300 130 3066 for a
GP or 0300 130 3065 for dental help
■ In Waveney – call 0844 736 9530 for
a GP or 0844 736 9530 for a dentist
How we spend your money
NHS Great Yarmouth and Waveney
(part of the NHS Norfolk and
Waveney cluster)
Last year, we spent:
■ £114,490k on general and acute
medicine, including all the services
provided at James Paget
University Hospitals.
■ £28,776k on
community services,
such as speech and
language therapists,
physiotherapists
and nurses.
■ £40,307k on GPs,
dental surgeries,
pharmacies and
opticians.
■ £35,332k on mental
health services.
■ £12,687k on learning
difficulties, including
specialist staff to
work with children
and adults.
■ £7,466k on maternity services.
■ £6,684k on A&E services at James Paget
University Hospital and the minor
injuries units at Beccles Hospital and
Patrick Stead Hospital in Halesworth.
Please note: figures here are for
2010/11 as figures for 2011/12 had not
been finalised at the time of writing.
19

Babergh District Council
General enquiries: 01473 826622
Council Tax & Benefit enquiries: 01473 825798
01473 825878 (minicom for the deaf)
Customer.services@babergh.gov.uk
www.babergh.gov.uk
Council Offices, Corks Lane, Hadleigh, Suffolk IP7 6SJ
Suffolk County Council
08456 066 067
customerservice@csduk.com
www.suffolk.gov.uk
Suffolk County Council, Endeavour House, 8 Russell Road, Ipswich IP1 2BX
Suffolk Police Authority
New non-emergency telephone number: 101
In an emergency, dial 999
spa@suffolk.pnn.police.uk
www.suffolkpoliceauthority.org.uk
Police Headquarters, Martlesham Heath, Ipswich, IP5 3QS
This booklet was produced by Babergh District Council,
Suffolk County Council, Suffolk Police Authority and the NHS. March 2012