Press Release

Coalition On Charging Report Shows Care Services ‘Creaking At The Seams – LGA

4th June 2008

Responding to the Coalition on Charging report on care of the elderly, Cllr David Rogers, Chair of the Local Government Association Community Wellbeing Board said:

“Councils have to make to provide good quality care, while keeping council tax down. Councils want to provide the services vulnerable people need but are increasingly unable to do so because central government funding has not kept pace with the demands of an ageing population. This is not a situation that vulnerable people deserve or indeed expect.

“Social care budget increases have not kept pace with demographic changes forcing councils to withdraw services for people with low and moderate needs such as help with the cleaning and bathing. Local authorities are determined to give disabled and older people a fair deal but the social care system is creaking at the seams.

“Ministers need to turn with urgency to the long term overhaul of the future funding of adult care services. Government missed an opportunity last month to deal directly with the cost of supporting an ageing population and a growing number of disabled people and as such there remains a blackhole in funding for the care of vulnerable people.

“It is unjust that people have to wait until their life is threatened, or suffer from a serious mental and physical illness, before they receive care. If society is to meet people’s needs and aspirations, the social care system needs root and branch reform giving individuals choice, independence, dignity and control over their lives.”