I'm Still Keeping an Eye on Barnet's Finances

Hello to readers out there at this difficult time. I know that some people have been very badly affected by the Covid-19 pandemic and to you I extend my deepest sympathy. Two members of my extended family have been affected one of whom died and one who is still in hospital. Others have been financially affected by lockdown and again that is something with which I can empathise having had first hand experience. I have chosen not to blog about Barnet for the last couple of months as people have had more important priorities, but as the situation seems to be changing I thought it would be appropriate to start up my scrutiny again.

Barnet's supplier payments for the year end came through so it is good to take stock of where we are.

The money paid to Capita this year seems almost beyond belief especially at a time when they have performed so poorly to the point that the pensions administration has been taken away from them. This financial year they were paid more than double the contracted sum, £83.2 million versus the contracted sum of £39.7 million and in total for the duration of the contract we have paid them £189.5 million more than the contracted value.

In terms of payments for agency staff, that has finished the year at £15.11 million, down on last year but a much smaller reduction than was originally anticipated at the start of the financial year.

This is a brief analysis but I will be doing further articles in the next few days.