Merton Council has come top in London and seventh out of all councils across England in a new report Coping with the cuts – can local authorities protect disabled people’s services? published by independent think tank Demos for disability charity Scope.

Rating Merton as “good” at coping with the cuts, the report was launched this week (12 September), and looks at how councils are managing the impact cuts in local authority funding are having on services for disabled people, young and old, throughout the country. It examines how innovative cost-saving measures made by local authorities, including Merton, can still achieve more choice for those people using front-line services.

To minimise the impact of savings the council has had to make to its services, Merton has worked with voluntary and community groups to design and plan how the council delivers services for disabled people, while offering greater value for money.

Leader of Merton Council Councillor Stephen Alambritis said: “I am proud at how we have managed to minimise the impact of the cuts on disabled people of all ages in our borough who depend on our services. We are going through difficult financial times at the moment, and are having to make very hard decisions about where we spend our money. We always work to prioritise those who are most vulnerable in the borough. This is an example of how we have thought carefully about where we make savings and how we can make the most of the funding we do receive to benefit both our young people and adults who need to use our services.”

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