Cuts have hit the North much harder than the South, study shows

First published in News Last updated by Robert Merrick, Parliamentary Correspondent

CUTS have hit the regions town halls nine times harder than wealthy parts of the South, a new analysis shows despite the North facing much higher care bills.

The study highlights the areas where people suffer most from poor physical and mental health, disability and early death, imposing huge extra costs on local councils.

The worst-hit fifth of 325 authorities includes no fewer than ten North-East areas, a list headed by Middlesbrough which is ranked fourth for health deprivation and disability.

Not far behind are Newcastle (13th), Hartlepool (14th), Gateshead (17th), Darlington (20th), Redcar and Cleveland (21st), Sunderland (25th) and County Durham (28th), followed by Stockton-on-Tees (51st) and South Tyneside (65th).

On average, those ten councils have lost 213.04 of their overall spending power for every resident since 2010, according to finance chiefs at Newcastle City Council.

Yet, the average loss in the ten areas with the fewest sick and disabled people, and much lower care costs, is calculated at just 23.19 per head more than nine times less.

Incredibly, spending power has actually risen at one authority, Elmbridge, in Surrey (up 8.14 per head) - while it has plummeted in Middlesbrough (down 289.02).

The gulf is seen as crucial because social care is the biggest financial burden for cash-strapped councils, which are now also responsible for public health.

Recently, the charity Age UK warned that older people have been left high and dry by council cutbacks to help with washing and dressing, to day care places and meals on wheels services.

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Cuts have hit the North much harder than the South, study shows