FUNDING cuts to local authority budgets are costing East Renfrewshire residents after spending per person has dropped by more than £130 in the past five years. 

Figures from the Scottish Parliamentary Information Centre (SPICe) show that council spending on each resident has fallen by £133 per head since 2013/14. 

Scottish Labour politicians, who commissioned the research, have labelled the findings as "shocking" as people in some parts of the country find themselves more than £200 out of pocket. 

Scottish Labour finance spokesman James Kelly said: "These figures show the price of SNP austerity for individuals across Scotland.

"The SNP has slashed funding for lifeline services in recent years - and that translates as more than £200 a head since 2013-14 for people in Edinburgh and Glasgow.

"It means residents in places such as Aberdeen, East Lothian and Stirling have lost more than £100 of spending per head over the last five years. That is simply shocking."

The report, carried out by SPICe's independent researchers at Holyrood, outlines changes in the real-terms total revenue per head figures for councils across Scotland between 2013/14 and 2018/19.

The average drop across all of Scotland's local authorities was £137 a head, with many parts of Scotland worse off than East Renfrewshire. 

The analysis shows residents in Glasgow are £210 worse off a year while for those in Edinburgh the figure is £216.

A Scottish Government spokesperson said: "In spite of continued UK Government real terms cuts to Scotland's resource budget, we have treated local government very fairly.

"In 2018-19 councils will receive funding through the local government finance settlement of £10.7 billion, delivering a real terms increase in both revenue and capital funding.

"The total 2018-19 local government finance settlement delivers an increase of £342 million or 3.3% in support for vital local services compared to 2017-18."