New polling for Policy Exchange and the Institute for Public Policy
Research shows that there is a growing crisis of trust in the
current social care system as a result of Covid-19.
Some 31 per cent of those
polled said they were less likely to seek residential
care for an elderly relative than before coronavirus –
with 40 per cent of those aged over
65 less likely to consider it for
themselves.
The polling, of a representative sample
of more than 2,400 people across the UK, was conducted between
May 15-18th. It was supported by the older people’s charity,
Independent Age.
The findings come as pressure mounts on
the government on PPE and testing in social care. New ONS data
has revealed that the number of deaths recorded in care homes in
England and Wales this year is more than double the average from
previous years. There has been widespread criticism of the lower
priority given to the care sector in the pandemic’s early
stages, despite warnings that people depending on it were acutely
vulnerable to the disease.
In light of this, Policy
Exchange and IPPR, respectively the
UK’s leading centre right and progressive think tanks, are
jointly calling on both main political parties to come together
in the wake of the pandemic, to agree a long-term funding
settlement for social care – as promised in the government’s 2019
manifesto.
They argue that the new polling “points
the way towards a new political consensus”. Among its
findings:
-
More than half (52 per
cent) of Conservative voters and
nearly two-thirds (64 per cent) of
Labour voters support a funding increase for social care - with
around two-thirds (64 and 67 per cent
respectively) believing it to be under-funded at
present
-
A majority of both Conservative
and Labour voters reject private insurance schemes
(only 15 per cent and 10 per cent respectively support it) and
selling the home (only 5 per cent and 4 per cent respectively
support) to fund social care
-
The most popular options to fund
it are “general taxation, in the way the NHS is
funded” and “a new social care tax” - combined, these two
proposals receive over 60 per cent of
both Conservative and Labour support
-
Meanwhile, at
least four-fifths of Conservative (80 per cent) and
Labour (85 per cent) voters agree that ensuring
care workers are properly paid, more than the minimum wage,
should be a priority with any new
funding.
In a joint article released alongside the
new polling, IPPR and Policy Exchange point to the fact that the
two think-tanks from across the political spectrum have
separately reached the same conclusion about reform of social
care.
Both call for the principle that
such care should be “free at the point of use, funded out of
general taxation” to be the basis of a new
cross-party solution to the problem after the Covid-19 crisis.
Their call echoes similar recommendations made by the cross-party
House of Lords Economic Committee in
2019.
, Senior Fellow at
Policy Exchange (and former Special Adviser to ),
said:
"It is hard to overstate the impact
of coronavirus on this country's care homes. The scale of the
crisis has also reminded the nation that the care system is badly
in need of reform.
“We need to fix this urgently to
restore the country's faith in social care. This will not be easy
but our polling shows the emergence of a new national consensus
on the future for social care. The public wants a system that is
largely free at the point of use and properly funded like the NHS
out of general taxation."
Harry Quilter-Pinner, IPPR Senior
Research Fellow, said:
“Covid-19 has been devastating for
the social care sector and for many who rely on it. This polling
demonstrates that without significant government intervention we
risk losing trust in what is a vital public
service.
“But the social care crisis pre-dates
the pandemic. Governments have consistently promised to find a
long-term funding solution for social care but failed to
deliver.
“Covid-19 has demonstrated that they
can no-longer ‘kick the can down the road’. Fortunately, our
polling shows that there is a growing cross-party consensus in
favour of social care free at the point of need, funded out of
general taxation.”
Deborah Alsina MBE, Chief Executive
of Independent Age,
said:
“The Covid-19 pandemic has put unprecedented strain on
a care system already in crisis. Calls to our helpline have
increased over the past two months, with people concerned about
lack of PPE, or receiving less help than they need with tasks
like going to the toilet or getting dressed.
“Alongside many others, we are calling for fundamental
reform of our care system. This must include valuing the support
provided by both professional and family carers more highly. We
believe a system providing care, free at the point of use, would
encourage more people to seek support when they need
it.
“Covid-19 has caused uncertainty and loss for people
everywhere. Political parties must act now to ensure the social
care system is supported to deliver fair and high-quality care
for all who need it.”
NOTES TO
EDITORS
-
Details of the joint polling
commissioned for Policy Exchange and IPPR will be published on
both organisations’ websites at 0001 on Friday May 22. It will
be available at: https://www.ippr.org/blog/ippr-policy-exchange-social-care-polling and
at: https://policyexchange.org.uk/publications
