A team of Liverpool Council workers set to lose their jobs under a raft of budget cuts have warned that the removal of the service they provide will be "catastrophic" for the city.
The cash-strapped local authority is currently consulting on a range of hugely difficult budget options as it tries to scrape together a further £73m of cuts after losing more than £500m since 2010. Among the possible options are reductions in welfare services, the council's culture budget and potential job losses.
Under the plans, the council could remove altogether its benefits maximisation team in a bid to save £1m. The team provides advice and assistance to help ensure people are getting the full range of benefits that they are entitled to.
The ECHO has spoken to a member of the team who asked not to be named but felt compelled to speak out about what the removal of their work would mean for people in the city.
READ MORE: Man buys nine separate tickets for one train journey and saves £360
Explaining what the team does, they said: "We're a council team that checks that people are receiving all the benefits they could be entitled to. We complete home visits, fill out forms, attend outreach events, carry out benefit surgeries at community centres, represent people at appeal, deal with urgent referrals from local MPs and councillors. We make a real difference and regularly succeed in gaining life-changing income for our customers who are often extremely vulnerable.
"Liverpool City Council recently published their budget proposals. We knew that tough decisions were necessary but, as a team that helps some of the most vulnerable people in the city maximise their income, we hoped that we would be safe. Unfortunately, that was not the case. One of the devastating options suggested is for our team to cease to exist entirely, which, on paper, would save the local authority £1m a year."
The team member added: "My colleagues and I are distraught. Obviously, on a personal level, the prospect of job losses, especially during a cost-of-living crisis, is horrendous, but for the thousands of people we assist each year, the impact will be catastrophic."
The council's proposals refer to external advice agencies like Citizens Advice, with a suggestion that the benefits team is essentially duplicating a service available elsewhere. Responding to this, the council worker said: "Citizens Advice Liverpool are a fantastic resource., but their scope can be limited, and external advice agencies often refer people to us, rather than the other way around, as they are so stretched.
"Indeed, colleagues who work for some of these other agencies have voiced concerns about the impact cutting our service will have on their own teams. Our team deals with around 6,000 referrals a year – external agencies just do not have the capacity to cope with this extra demand so these cuts will result in thousands of people being unable to access the vital help they need."
The team have also taken issue with how the council's public consultation on the budget proposals has referred to their service. They said: "When the survey was released we were horrified to find that it is a very brief form consisting of multiple-choice questions, which are extremely leading."
One question simply asks "what do you think of these proposals to make our services more efficient - modernisation and transformation of services (eg: stripping our duplication". The options to choose from in response to this are “agree, disagree, neither agree nor disagree, or don’t know.”
The council worker added: "Without knowing the hidden meaning behind, and potential consequences of, this proposal, why would any member of the public select “disagree” to a proposal to "modernise and transform services"? It feels manipulative, unjust, and undemocratic."
The team were also "very hurt" that within a week of the proposal to remove their team being published, the council and Mayor Joanne Anderson's social media accounts both highlighted their work as part of their cost of living literature. They asked: "So are we a vital service or not?"
Their statement added: "We know that the council needs to save money. The under-funding that the city has suffered for years now has had a disastrous effect on a city that already contained some of the most deprived areas in the whole country. However, at a time when the council is under great scrutiny for various (and unfortunately valid) reasons, it is absurd that a team that generates income that will be spent within the city and therefore boost its economy may cease to exist.
"The proposals state that scrapping our service will save the council around £1m a year, yet we’ve brought in £2m in benefits generated within the last three months alone. Additionally, it is a great team to work for – our managers are approachable and fair, and there is fantastic communication and support; I know that this unfortunately hasn’t always been the case within other council teams and directorates.
"We are begging the councillors of the city to fight to protect this vital service. We believe that the vast majority of the people we assist aren’t even aware that the service we provide is at risk – and we want to make sure they have the opportunity to have their say before it is too late. Our team makes a difference, and it changes lives – at a time when people in our city are worrying about whether they are going to be able to heat their homes or feed their children, we need to be able to continue to help them, now more than ever."
A Liverpool City Council spokesperson said: “Our draft budget proposals are a mix of savings, income generation and transformation of services, to balance the books and close the £73 million gap. Engagement with the public, stakeholders and staff is taking place over the coming weeks.
"More information about the proposals, and a survey for people who live and work in Liverpool, can be found at liverpool.gov.uk/budget. A final set of proposals will put forward next year, for consideration at a Budget Council meeting in March.”
READ NEXT:
Man buys nine separate tickets for one train journey and saves £360
First picture of police officer accused of 'abusing position for sexual purposes'
Remorseless 'predator' saw teenager heading home from night out as 'easy target'
Floral tributes for man, 36, who died after falling from bridge
