Independent Age comment on NHS Digital Adult Social Care Activity and Finance Report

A real term increase of just 0.4% is pitiful when local authorities are faced with more than 5,000 requests per day for support. They already can’t cope, having been forced to make significant cuts in recent years.

By 2019/20, the funding lifeline from the Adult Social Care Precept will have been maxed out by 42% of local authorities. The only option is large scale reform with a long term funding solution to ensure all older people get free personal care; this is within reach and identified in our report, A Taxing Question.  Continued chronic underfunding is leaving older people who are most in need, at serious risk and neglected by the nation.