Ministers ‘burying their head in sand over care funding gap’

18 Jan 12
The Local Government Association has accused the government of ‘burying its head in the sand’ after care services minister Paul Burstow questioned whether there was a funding gap in social care.

By Nick Mann | 18 January 2012

The Local Government Association has accused the government of ‘burying its head in the sand’ after care services minister Paul Burstow questioned whether there was a funding gap in social care.

Giving evidence to the Commons health select committee yesterday, Burstow said a combination of government spending on social care and the savings councils could make in this area would eliminate any shortfall in funding over the current Spending Review period.

But the chair of the LGA’s community wellbeing board, David Rogers, highlighted a problem of growing demand and escalating costs in an underfunded care system. This is a situation being made worse by ‘severe’ funding cuts, he said.

‘It is deeply worrying that despite the best efforts of councils, leading charities and the government’s own experts, the message that we are facing a financial crisis still doesn’t seem to be getting through,’ he said.

Rogers said that council spending on adult services was expected to fall by just 2.5% this year, less than for any other service area, despite the funding cuts, but there ‘simply isn’t enough money to do everything we used to’.

Instead, he called for ‘root and branch’ reform of how the adult social care system is funded.

Politicians need to transcend political point-scoring and wake up to the ticking time bomb this country is facing,’ he said.

‘We need to act now on the recommendations of the Dilnot Commission and Law Commission to ensure the system is fairer, simpler and fit for purpose in order to truly meet the needs of the elderly and most vulnerable in our society.’

Last year, the Dilnot Commission outlined social care reforms that it said would cost the government around £1.7bn a year to implement.

During the select committee hearing, Burstow confirmed that cross-party talks on reforming social care funding began yesterday. A social care white paper and progress report on funding reform is also expected to be published by April.

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