00:00A hike in National Insurance will hit the City Council next month, costing millions
00:08of pounds. The government is increasing how much employers have to contribute to National
00:14Insurance, which will add further pressure to already stretched public services.
00:21Last month, the Council voted through a gigantic budget for the next financial year, which
00:27begins this April, including a 4.99% increase in Council tax. But pressures on the budget
00:34continue as demand for expensive services like social care rises faster than funding
00:40from the government. Also this April, the rate at which employers pay National Insurance
00:46increases from 13.8% to 15%. This could cost the Council about £6m a year, not including
00:54the impacts on Bristol Waste or the hundreds of contractors which help to provide local
00:59public services. Green councillor Tony Dyer, leader of the Council, called on the government
01:06for both more money and more flexibility on spending that money. In an interview with
01:13the local democracy reporting service, he repeated warnings that without government
01:19action, spiralling costs of support for pupils with special educational needs and disabilities
01:26could soon be catastrophic. Bristol was given a 7% increase in its core spending power,
01:33which is more like 5% when taking into account inflation. But the costs of providing many
01:40council services is increasing at double that rate.
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