By Richard Johnstone | 26 March 2014
Most local authorities have increased the rationing of social care for the over-65s in response to government cuts, leading to significant drops in the number of people receiving home-delivered meals and day care, a report has found.
An analysis of the impact of spending cuts on care provision undertaken by the Nuffield Trust and Health Foundation think-tanks warned neither the NHS nor government knew what impact the reductions would have, which could increase demand in the future.
According to figures in the Social care for older people report, council funding for older people’s social care has fallen by 15% in real terms since the government’s deficit reduction programme started in 2010, to £9.8bn in 2012/13.
This reduction has been implemented through tightening eligibility criteria for state-funded support.
According to the report, the number of authorities setting eligibility for care support at the level of substantial need grew from 70 in 2010/11 to 83 in 2012/13.
As a result, the number of pensioners receiving publicly funded community care fell by nearly a quarter of a million – 245,855 people, or a reduction of 26% – in 2012/13, compared to 2009/10, as reductions take effect.
Home and day care spending by councils was down by 23%, or £538m, over the same period, while the number of older people receiving meals on wheels fell by more than halved.
Holly Holder, the lead author of the report and fellow in health policy at the Nuffield Trust, said the analysis indicated councils were focusing on those most at need.
The findings reinforced warnings from the National Audit Office that it was not clear how the system was responding to cuts, she added. MPs on the Public Accounts Committee will take evidence based on the NAO’s examination later today.
‘Our analysis paints a picture of increased rationing of social care by hard-pressed local authorities in response to deep cuts from central government, despite the growing numbers of older people in the population,’ Holder said.
‘It is highly likely that this is having a negative effect on older people’s health and wellbeing and that of their carers, but without adequate data to assess this impact, the NHS and government are flying blind when it comes to managing demand and planning for the future.’
