Responding to the exclusion of social care funding from today’s
Autumn Budget, Margaret Willcox, President of the Association of
Directors of Adult Social Services (ADASS), said:
“We are extremely disappointed that the Government has not
addressed the need for extra funding for adult social care. This
means that this winter and throughout next year we will continue
to see more older and disabled people not getting the care and
support – which they desperately need now.
“A lack of extra funding will also lead to an even greater toll
being placed on the 6.5 million family members and other carers.
By the end of this financial year, £6 billion will have been cut
from councils’ adult social care budgets since 2010 - with need
for our services growing all that time.
“The Government has committed to publishing the long-awaited
Green Paper on social care next summer, but much more needs to be
done to secure extra recurring money to address funding gaps,
continuing service pressures and the stability of the care
market. This is made more urgent when the National Living Wage
will increase and less of the short-term extra funding announced
in the spring will be available next year to help nearly two
million people who rely on care and support, and whose care needs
continue to grow.
“The extra funding for the NHS will not be as effective without
extra money for adult social care, which remains in a perilously
fragile state. Adult social care needs to be tackled as urgently
and at least as equally as the needs of the NHS, in a way which
recognises the inter-dependency of these services and encourages
a collaborative approach.
“Good social care cannot be achieved without a stable, supported
and skilled workforce. While we welcome the rise in the National
Living Wage, this needs to be addressed in the funding solution
alongside the recruitment, training and retention of staff.
“The Government needs to heed the warnings from a wide range of
respected voices by taking immediate steps to bring forward the
funding and reforms needed to ensure that older and disabled
people, and the rising number of working age adults, can get the
care and support they need now and each and every day of their
lives.”
