Union warns huge numbers facing legal action over social care debts
More than 1,700 people are facing legal action over debts for their social care, a new study suggests.
Research by the GMB union indicated that 130,000 people are “trapped” in social care debt, amounting to one in three of all people who pay for their social care.
More than 93,000 are facing debt management proceedings as a result of their social care debt, with more than 1,700 facing legal action, said the union.
The GMB said the true figures are likely to be higher as some authorities did not respond to Freedom of Information requests.
National official Rachel Harrison, speaking at the union’s annual conference in Brighton, said: “Our care system isn’t just in crisis, it’s crumbling beneath our feet.
“Almost 100,000 people facing debt collectors over unpaid charges, almost 2,000 facing legal action – this is an increasingly desperate state of affairs.
“Meanwhile, care companies are going to the wall, councils are starved of cash, and our under-staffed, underpaid and overworked members do their best against the rising tide of need.
“The way we fund our care system needs a radical overhaul. At the same time we need support, progression and pay structures to inspire new carers and retain outstanding staff.
“Instead of taking action, the Government keeps kicking the Green Paper on social care into the long grass when they should be coming forward with a coherent plan to properly fund our care sector.”
Copyright (c) Press Association Ltd. 2019, All Rights Reserved. Picture (c) Freepik.
