Experts warn British govt. against further cuts to social care

A further £1bn in cuts to social care will hit thousands of Britons, experts say.

Over £1bn worth of funding will be taken from social care services in the next year alone, leaving thousands of elderly and disabled people unable to perform basic tasks such as dressing, eating and washing, council care bosses have warned.

This comes as demands rise by the elderly population meaning those receiving a service will now have to accept lower levels of support, according to the report by the experts.

The president of the Association of Directors of Adult Social Services, Ray James said: “short-changing social care is short-sighted and short-term. It must also be short-lived if we are going to avoid further damage to the lives of older and vulnerable people who often will have no one else but social care to turn to. It is vitally important these care and support services are protected”.

ADASS, who produced the report warned this would add to the pressure already put on the NHS echoing opinions by health service leaders who said the NHS would not survive another five years of austerity if no money was put into social care and hospitals.

Adult social services have already suffered from £4.6bn since 2009 and are now preparing for a further £1bn cut, resulting in a predicted £4.3bn black hole in social care funding in Egland by 2020.

Clare Pelham, chief executive of the Leonard Cheshire Disability charity, said: “let’s not hide from the reality of what this means. This means disabled ex-soldiers coping all day with one ‘flying’ homecare visit and a thermos. This means people who need help to go to the bathroom, falling and going to hospital sometimes several times a week. And now it might get worse.”

“It defies demography that councils will spend £1bn less this year on essential services that more of us will need.

“Social care is now at a crossroads. It is at risk of becoming a residual service, available only to those with the lowest incomes and highest needs, leaving thousands of people and their families struggling to meet the costs of care.”

Izzie Seccombe, chair of the Local Government Association’s community wellbeing board, said: “The necessity for further budget savings worth £1.1bn combined with other pressures of insufficient funding, growing demand and escalating costs mean that despite councils’ best efforts they are having to make tough decisions about the care services they can provide. This cannot continue.”

SU/SKL

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