Sutton Council Addresses Rising Social Care Needs and Cost of Living Crisis, Calls for National Reform

17 July 2025

Sutton is grappling with increasing social care demands as residents face a cost of living crisis, the council heard on Monday, 14 July 2025.

The council faces increasing social care needs, driven by a growing elderly population living longer with more complex needs, and a rise in local children requiring special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) support, mirroring a national trend.

During the Council meeting, councillors discussed a motion, the Helping Residents Through Hard Times motion, highlighting the financial strain on residents due to high inflation and rising costs for essential goods and services. The motion also noted a significant increase in the number of people in Sutton requiring social care support, unaffordable rents, concerns about housing quality, and residents facing health issues.

Councillor Jayne McCoy, Chair of the Planning Committee, who proposed the motion, emphasised the crucial role of councils in supporting residents during these challenging times. She noted that Sutton offers a comprehensive range of advice and support for various groups, including parents, older people, individuals with disabilities, and those struggling with bills or homelessness. The council provides a comprehensive offer of advice and support for parents, older people, children and adults with disabilities, people struggling to pay their bills, families facing homelessness, individuals seeking employment, carers, people with dementia and other mental health issues and individuals coming out of hospital. There is support for those experiencing domestic abuse and those who need help with budgeting and benefits.

The council acknowledged that long-term solutions require fundamental reforms to national policies, including social care funding, welfare benefit levels, and housing regulation. The council resolved to continue actively promoting available support to residents, ensuring accessibility for everyone, regardless of their IT skills. They also called on the government to reverse the painful cuts to public spending in the recent spending review and provide adequate funding for councils to invest in prevention work rather than crisis-management.

To address the cost of living crisis and social care demands in the short term, the council is ensuring that more housing, especially social housing, is built in the borough, to provide more and better options for people to find the home they need and can afford. It is also introducing measures to ensure and improve the quality and energy efficiency of existing homes. The council is investing in its town and local economy to increase the employment and training opportunities available for residents. The council's Public Health Team delivers important initiatives to help improve the health of the borough's residents, and the council also provides leisure centres, clubs and quality green spaces to enable residents to participate in sport and activities at low cost.

An amendment to the motion, proposed by Councillor Neil Garratt, acknowledged that governments must balance the books. Councillor Garratt's amendment to the Helping Residents Through Hard Times motion reminded the council that not everything is possible and that the books ultimately have to be balanced. The council agreed to accept the amendment.

Councillor Sam Martin, Deputy Leader of the Council, seconded the motion, highlighting that poor decisions from Westminster have made life harder for ordinary people. She noted that the council is doing everything it can to support those facing hard times, but that lasting change has to come from national reform.

During the meeting, Councillor Ed Parsley criticised the Sutton Conservatives for failing to produce a budget at local level for nearly 40 years. Councillor Andrew Jenner spoke about alternative ways forward, and Councillor Dave Tchil highlighted the need for wealth taxes for the most wealthy in the country.

Councils Involved

Sutton

Meetings Involved

the Council of Sutton Council on 14 July 2025

People Involved

Eric Allen Local Conservatives Cheam

Martina Allen Chair: Cheam North and Worcester Park Local Committee Local Conservatives Worcester Park South

Steve Alvarez Local Conservatives St Helier West

Councillor Isabel Araujo Vice Chair: Environment and Sustainable Transport Committee; Vice Chair: Carshalton and Clockhouse Local Committee Liberal Democrat Carshalton Central

Helen Bailey

Councillor Rob Beck Vice Chair: People Committee Liberal Democrat Stonecot

Moira Butt Local Conservatives Carshalton South and Clockhouse

Councillor Richard Choi Liberal Democrat Sutton Central

Imran Choudhury

Wendy Clark Local Conservatives St Helier West

Councillor Richard Clifton Vice Chair: Planning Committee Liberal Democrat Sutton South

Councillor Paul Cole Vice Chair: People Committee Liberal Democrat St Helier East

Tim Crowley Local Conservatives Carshalton South and Clockhouse

Councillor Sam Cumber Chair: Sutton Local Committee Liberal Democrat Sutton North

Bobby Dean Liberal Democrat The Wrythe

Ruth Dombey Vice Chair: Sutton Local Committee Liberal Democrat Sutton North

Tom Drummond Leader of the Opposition Local Conservatives Worcester Park North

Mike Dwyer Local Conservatives North Cheam

Councillor Qasim Esak Vice Chair: Scrutiny Committee Liberal Democrat Sutton West and East Cheam

Councillor Trish Fivey Chair: Licensing Committee Liberal Democrat Sutton South

Tim Foster Leader of the Sutton Independent Residents Group Sutton Independent Residents Beddington

Neil Garratt Local Conservatives Belmont

Peter Geiringer Local Conservatives Worcester Park South

Councillor Sunita Gordon Lead Member for Resources Liberal Democrat Wallington North

Catherine Gray Local Conservatives St Helier West

Jillian Green Sutton Independent Residents Beddington

David Hicks Local Conservatives Belmont

Marian James Chair: People Committee Liberal Democrat Wallington North

Councillor Andrew Jenner Chair: Carshalton and Clockhouse Local Committee Liberal Democrat Carshalton Central

Councillor Edward Joyce Chair: Scrutiny Committee, Vice Chair: Beddington and Wallington Local Committee Liberal Democrat South Beddington and Roundshaw

Councillor Barry Lewis Leader of the Council Liberal Democrat Wallington North

Bryony Lindsay-Charlton Local Conservatives Sutton North

Patrick Magnus Local Conservatives South Beddington and Roundshaw

Councillor Sam Martin Deputy Leader of the Council Liberal Democrat Wallington South

Councillor Nick Mattey Sutton Independent Residents Beddington

Councillor Jayne McCoy Chair: Planning Committee Liberal Democrat Wallington South

James McDermott-Hill Deputy Leader of the Opposition Local Conservatives North Cheam

Councillor Cryss Mennaceur Chair: Pension Committee Liberal Democrat Sutton Central

Councillor Gemma Munday Liberal Democrat St Helier East

Param Nandha Vice Chair: North Cheam, Stonecot and Worcester Park Local Committee Local Conservatives North Cheam

Patrick Ogbonna Chair: Hackbridge, St Helier and the Wrythe Local Committee Liberal Democrat The Wrythe

Spencer Palmer

Councillor Ed Parsley Vice Chair: Housing, Economy and Business Committee Liberal Democrat Sutton Central

Jane Pascoe Vice Chair: Sutton South, Cheam and Belmont Local Committee Local Conservatives Belmont

Jonathan Pearce Local Conservatives South Beddington and Roundshaw

Councillor Louise Phelan Mayor Liberal Democrat Sutton South

Joe Quick Local Conservatives Worcester Park North

Councillor Muhammad Sadiq Chair: Beddington and Wallington Local Committee Liberal Democrat Wallington South

Councillor Cumar Sahathevan Deputy Mayor, Vice Chair: Licensing Committee Liberal Democrat Stonecot

Tony Shields Chair: Sutton South, Cheam and Belmont Local Committee Local Conservatives Cheam

Councillor Jake Short Chair: Housing, Economy and Business Committee Liberal Democrat Carshalton Central

Richard Simpson

Councillor Colin Stears Chair, Audit and Governance Committee; Vice Chair, Hackbridge, St Helier and the Wrythe Local Committee Liberal Democrat The Wrythe

Luke Taylor Liberal Democrat Sutton West and East Cheam

Councillor Dave Tchil Leader of the Labour Group Labour Hackbridge

Vanessa Udall Local Conservatives Cheam

Sheldon Vestey Labour Hackbridge

Councillor Lisa Webster Liberal Democrat Carshalton South and Clockhouse

Councillor Christopher Woolmer Chair: Environment and Sustainable Transport Committee Liberal Democrat Sutton West and East Cheam

Topics

Cost of living crisis Social care Sutton Council Jayne McCoy Neil Garratt Sam Martin Ed Parsley Andrew Jenner Dave Tchil