Three care providers who supply services for some of the most vulnerable people in Dundee will have their funding slashed by more than £100,000 each under the city council’s proposed 5% budget cuts.
Another four groups stand to lose more than £50,000 from their annual budgets, figures provided by the city’s Labour group have revealed.
In total, 37 service providers across the city will lose more than one million pounds in funding from the council’s social work department if the SNP budget proposals are agreed at the meeting next Thursday.
Labour’s former social work convener, Bailie Helen Wright, has called on the SNP administration to see that funding “rise Phoenix-like from the ashes of DERL” by using more than £500,000 earmarked to remove ash from the fire-damaged waste-to-energy plant at Baldovie to offset the proposed cuts.
Bailie Wright says the draft budget still shows the council ready to spend £600,000 on removing ash from the incinerator operated by DERL, despite the fact the plant is closed following the fire last May.
Labour say they are aiming to force an amendment to the SNP budget proposals next week to ensure those hardest hit by the proposed 5% cuts are not adversely affected.
Among those are Gowrie Care Ltd, which will lose £127,113 and Sense Scotland (£106,256), both of which provide care services for those with learning difficulties.
Cornerstone Community Care, which provides care support services for adults with learning difficulties and children with disabilities, is set to see £111,642 slashed from its funding.
Further down the scale, the 5% cut would see a drop of £28,505 from Barnardo’s, Dundee Women’s Aid would lose £9,984 and Alzheimer’s Scotland £9,439.
Ms Wright, Labour’s social work and health spokesperson, said: “The Labour group is particularly concerned about cuts to support for externally-provided social work services and services to vulnerable people.
“The SNP are to cut vital services and impose an additional tax on the poorest, the most needy and the most vulnerable. This is unacceptable.
“Imposing a 5% across-the-board reduction is a lazy and callous attempt to balance the budget. It again confirms that an SNP administration means uncaring and ruthless policies that add misery to the lives of those most in need.”
SNP finance spokesman Councillor Willie Sawers said: “The SNP administration is delivering a budget which once again freezes the council tax, avoids compulsory redundancies and protects frontline services.
“Our budget is adding an additional £4.8 million funding to the social work department to meet the demands on this service. This administration is doing everything we can to direct funding to the most vulnerable people of Dundee.”