Saga warns of legal challenges to social care cuts
Recent court case will be first of many, according to the service provider for over 50s
A government failure to fund social care properly could lead to a “deluge” of legal challenges from the public, according to service provider Saga.
The company, which concentrates on the market of people aged 50 or over, said it is aware of impending legal challenges to cuts, and that the government should prioritise social care needs.
Saga said that, with local authorities under increasing pressure to find savings, their adult social care budget is taking a hit. Last week Isle of Wight council’s plans to reduce the relevant budget were deemed unlawful, with a high court judge overturning the restrictions it had in place on eligibility for adult care. Similarly, Sefton council has been told by the high court to reconsider plans to freeze fees paid to private care homes for elderly residents for the second year running.
“We have to take a step back and consider the bigger picture; in the space of just a few days a number of local authorities have been told that cutting or freezing budgets to spend on the most vulnerable in our society is unlawful. This leaves all councils with a huge problem and will potentially leave local authority budgets in chaos,” said Dr Ros
Altmann, director general of Saga.
“The local authorities have been forced into this position because of cutbacks and austerity measures. They are in a very difficult position, but the victims are the people who are least able to fend for themselves.”
He added: “That means there is now every danger that the social care and legal systems could well be swamped with costly and time consuming claims and challenges. The key is unlocking and unblocking the social care system with proper investment and commitment, releasing NHS beds by taking the elderly and vulnerable out of hospitals and back into the community, and saving billions of pounds. The sooner we grasp this nettle with proper radical reform, the better.”
