Councils in deprived areas have been hardest hit by the cuts according to the first systematic review of the real impact of public spending cuts on councils published by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation today. The review also finds conflict within councils over whether the needs of vulnerable people should be prioritised.
The review looked at 25 local authorities and provides an early insight into how local government is coping with the severe contraction in grant income implemented after the 2010 Comprehensive Spending Review. It finds a strong likelihood that the contraction of local government service provision will be felt differently across England. Analysis of the patterns of spending cuts show greater cuts in the most deprived authorities, compared with the most affluent.