Haringey Council

The current means-tested social care system is portrayed as unfair to families and financially damaging to councils. People with more than £23,250 in capital can receive no government support despite potentially facing thousands of pounds in weekly residential care costs, while local authorities bear much of the cost for those who qualify. In Haringey, adult and children’s social care consume almost two thirds of the council budget, leaving fewer resources for roads, housing and libraries. Luke Cawley-Harrison supports cross-party talks involving Andy Burnham, Ed Davey and Kemi Badenoch and calls for proper direct national government funding of social care.

Haringey Council leader Mark Blake explains why the council appointed a Windrush Champion to support affected residents, raise awareness of compensation and documentation schemes, and press the Home Office for better borough-level data. He argues that many eligible people have not claimed compensation because of limited awareness, mistrust, or insufficient assistance, and emphasizes that Windrush families live throughout Haringey, not only in Tottenham. The initiative is presented as a modest but important step toward dignity, accountability, and ensuring residents receive what they are owed.

Haringey Council cabinet member Johann Beckford outlines plans to improve financial transparency through resident communications and a new dashboard showing how council tax is spent. He says austerity-era grant reductions, rising adult social care and temporary accommodation costs, and an £84 million deficit have created severe budget pressures, requiring exceptional financial support for 2026/27. Beckford supports tighter internal governance and value-for-money reviews but argues that national government must provide a broader solution, including council house building, rent controls, land value taxation and a national care service.