By Vivienne Russell | 27 June 2011
Funding for older people’s social care has been slashed by £610m, according to data collected and analysed by Age UK.
The charity used Freedom of Information legislation to obtain social care spending data from 139 local authorities. It compared net social care expenditure in the current financial year with last year’s spending levels.
This revealed that care budgets for older people have been reduced by 8.4%. In 2011/12, social care net expenditure per person over the age 65 is £791, down from £864 in 2010/11.
Age UK branded the cuts as ‘devastating’. Charity director Michelle Mitchell said: ‘Funding for social care is already inadequate and the system today is failing many older people at the time when they really need help.
‘We anticipate these cuts will condemn many more older people to a miserable existence behind closed doors struggling to keep safe and well.’
But the government disputed Age UK’s findings, saying the figures did not add up.
Care minister Paul Burstow said: ‘Council spending on social care is under pressure - that's why the government will provide an extra £7.2bn over the next four years to local authorities so that they can protect services that support vulnerable people.
‘But Age UK's research does not give the full picture and they have seriously underestimated the amount of additional support for social care and older people in particular. This includes £150m in the NHS for reablement, which will support older people, but is not reflected in Age UK's figures.’
The Dilnot Commission on the future of social care funding is due to report shortly.
Mitchell said: ‘The report must make recommendations that will turn around the crisis and build a social care for the future that will be fair for today’s and tomorrow’s pensioners.’
