Care and Support Alliance Responds to Spending Review
Today (4 September 2019), the Chancellor announced funding for social care in the spending review, the main commitment is an extra £1 billion in 2020/2021 for adults and children’s services, with another £500 million via council tax precept. The Care and Support Alliance has said that the new funding will not address any of the challenges in the social care sector, and only buys a short amount of time.
Caroline Abrahams, Charity Director at Age UK and co-Chair of the Care and Support Alliance said:
“Although the devil is often in the detail when it comes to Government spending announcements, on the face of it the extra money announced for social care in 2020/21 should help to keep our current care system tottering along for another year. It should also hopefully mean that local authorities will not have to cut back their care spending this autumn, as many had warned was likely.
“However, the care system is in such bad shape that this new money, welcome as it is, will only buy some time for the next 12 months, it will not be sufficient to address the strategic challenges care faces, including sky high turnover among staff.
“For this we will have to wait for the Government’s care reform plan which the Chancellor promised we would see ‘in due course’ today. For many millions of sick and disabled adults, older people in declining health and family carers, and for our many dedicated paid care workers too, this plan cannot come too soon. How useful this money will be will depend on how long the Government takes to act on implementing a new action plan for social care. We will certainly hold this Government to its pledges.”
Sue Bott, Head of Policy and Research at Disability Rights UK said:
“Accepting that the Government is facing a few difficulties just now, even so is this the best they can do? Thousands of disabled people’s lives and aspirations are being blighted by inadequate support and to make matters worse, disabled people are having to pay more for social care that is failing to meet their needs.”
The Care and Support Alliance is a coalition of over 80 charities from across the UK. You can visit their website here: http://careandsupportalliance.com/