"Life-changing" budget cuts across public services in Merton were approved by councillors at a sombre meeting on Monday night.

Merton Council has been tasked with finding £32m in savings over the next five years, with councillors warning deeper cuts are likely to come after next year's general election.

Councillor Mark Allison, cabinet member for finance, said: "The financial picture is going to be bleaker than even the biggest pessimist could have predicted."

Savings of more than £5m from the adult social care budget are likely to have the most "life-changing" impact on peoples' lives, Council leader Stephen Alambritis said last week.

- Home care support packages currently delivered to 596 elderly people in Merton are facing a 9 per cent reduction, saving £387,000 a year.

- Support packages for mental health services will be slashed by 5 per cent, saving £76,000 a year.

- Disabled people face reductions of up to 10 per cent in their care packages, saving about £200,000 a year.

- Youth centres will no longer be supported by the Council, saving £480,000 a year.

The assessment bar for all adult social care packages will be raised, with 12 less staff members every year employed to carry out assessments.

The revised business plan for 2015-19 will start affecting services in 2016.

Approved by cabinet on Monday night, the new plan sets out how the council can find just over half of the £32m savings.

Councillors will look to a scrutiny panel meeting next January to help them decide where a further £16m in savings can be found.

Commenting on the "depressing" cuts, Councillor Maxi Martin, cabinet member for children's services, said: "We have got a considerable number of duties that we are not getting much funding for at all.

"You assess a society by how it looks after the most vulnerable and we have to be there to support them."

The cabinet pledged to stand by its 'July 2011 Principles', which emphasise a commitment to protect the vulnerable.

Coun Allison said environmental and corporate services would be hit hardest, while children's services and plans for schools' expansions would be prioritised.

The decision follows a vocal campaign by opposition councillors and residents opposed to the possible closure of Merton Adult Education, which costs the council £2.7m a year and has 5,054 students.

Conservative Councillor Gilli Lewis-Lavender implored the cabinet to look at alternative ways of running the service, or dig into its £18m reserves to continue the service.

Coun Allison said £5m of reserves have already been ring-fenced to deal with funding shortfalls from central government this year, reducing the council's '"rainy-day" pot to £13m.

He said: "The council has an expenditure of about £500m a year. We need to make sure our reserves are at a safe level to get through the following years.

"£13m will get us through five months of not having to make these savings. So you can continue the services for five months but then the problems will get worse and the cuts deeper."

He added: "£157,000 is the projected overspend for the service this year. If that trend continues we will not be able to continue with that service at all unless we look for alternatives. It's about saving that service rather than cutting it."

Cabinet agreed it would continue to be "business-like" in its approach to the cuts, and look for alternative ways of running services so they could be maintained for residents.

Controversial plans to privatise parks management and waste collection and tender out Merton Adult Education services are examples of this strategy.

More services in the firing line:

- Early Years childcare services face cuts of £250,000 a year.

- Full-time planning enforcement staff will be reduced from four to two, saving £80,000 a year but reducing the number of cases the council can deal with.

- The Safer Merton team, which deals with ASB, community safety and domestic violence, will be reduced to a "statutory minimum", with 2-3 staff members cut saving £70,000 a year.

- Stop web casting council meetings, saving about £35,000 a year.

- Removal of dog waste bins on highways and parks, saving £42,000 a year.

How the cuts have been divvied up:

Corporate services: £5.5m

Children, schools and families: £5m

Environment and regeneration: £12m

Community and housing: £10m