Osborne asks public sector staff for money saving ideas

Osborne sent a letter to millions of public sector workers, including teachers, civil servants and diplomats, asking for their input ahead of November’s Spending review which is expected to detail government plans for £20 billion work of savings.

The survey is open until 4 September and will gather submissions to be considered by the Treasury and Cabinet Office. The same process was run in 2010, which generated money saving ideas such as stopping the distribution of plastic national insurance cards and forming closer links between health and social care services.

Osborne’s letter read: “You know better than most where we can take the next steps. You know first-hand where things are working well on the frontline of public services, but also where the waste is and where we can provide better services for less money.

“You know where we can go further to reform our public services, and where we can devolve more power so that local people have more control and local leaders are more accountable.

“In the last parliament, when we asked for your help in a similar way, many of you put forward ideas which saved millions of pounds. It was thanks to the suggestions of dedicated public sector professionals that we stopped distributing national insurance numbers with a plastic card, reduced the need for multiple Criminal Records Bureau checks by giving employers greater electronic access to records, and built closer links across health and social care.

“So today we are inviting you to share with us your ideas for how to get more for less. If you think there is a better way to do things, we want to know. Please submit your ideas through our online survey by Friday 4 September. These will be looked at and considered by the Treasury and Cabinet Office, in partnership with government departments.”

Find the survey here