Charity highlights £500m social care funding gap

The government is spending £500 million less than is needed to maintain levels of social care provision this year, a new report suggests.

Age UK says £7.8 billion is needed to maintain the same levels of service as in 2010, yet councils have only budgeted for an estimated £7.3 billion this year.

Its ‘Care in Crisis 2012’ report warns that unless this funding gap is addressed, even more vulnerable older people will not receive the care they need.

Charity director Michelle Mitchell said ‘urgent’ action is needed to prevent the gap from widening.

‘Social care is not a nice-to-have extra – it is the support that helps older people get out of bed, feed themselves, have a wash, live a life that is more than just an existence,’ she pointed out.

‘We urge all parties to engage openly and constructively in the cross-party talks on care to reach a settlement on this issue that guarantees both reform of the legal structure and most importantly the funding to make it work.’

Care services minister Paul Burstow said that councils have enough funding to maintain the current levels of provision, but will need to ‘work hard and smart’ to free up more money for front-line services.