By 2012, austerity measures across the country had been changing the shape and size of Britain’s public services for several years. National and local government were forced to make difficult decisions about which services to prioritise and which to re-shape or remove. At the same time, families were tightening their belts, with the rising costs of fuel and food, the bleak economic outlook and the changing eligibility for various state benefits.
The stories in this report cast a light on the day-to-day experience of residents in Camden as they faced the first wave of the cuts. They underline the seriousness of the cuts and the impacts they are already having on family and community life. For both national and local government the challenges ahead are stark: further cost saving measures, more cuts to personal benefits and entitlements for its citizens and no revival in the economy in sight.
Posted on: 1 July 2012 Authors: Catherine Russell, Mhairi Aylott, Vicki Sellick, Will Norman,