Social care sector stress at Spring Budget

When the Budget was announced, our expectations were not high. But even we at Access Social Care were surprised and saddened by how far this mini-Budget fell short of the help so desperately needed in the social care sector. With demand for social care at an all-time high, people with social care needs, carers and the social care workforce needed action, not platitudes and promises.

Poverty?

Older and disabled people, paid and unpaid carers, frequently live in poverty. Sunak’s Spring Budget came at a time of looming unprecedented hardship. The impending cost of living crisis, caused by prices increasing faster than income, affects the poorest the hardest.  No amount of household budgeting will balance the books with expenses rising so fast. National helplines are preparing for a dramatic rise in calls from struggling families finding it impossible to make ends meet. Despite Sunak’s promise to support families through the coming crisis, and to cut taxes in the future, analysis by the Resolution Foundation found only one in eight workers will see their tax bills fall by the end of this Parliament. The decision not to target support at those hardest hit by rising prices leaves low-and-middle income households painfully exposed. Resolution Foundation predicts that 1.3m people, including half a million children, are set to fall below the poverty line this coming year – the first time the UK has seen such a rise outside a recession.

Problems?

For people in need of social care, or people providing care, Sunak’s statement created little comfort and reassurance for the future. We already see families having to choose between social care, heating or food. Unlike health care, social care is not free at the point of use. Most disabled and older people have no choice other than to contribute towards the cost of their social care. With the increase in benefits lagging behind inflation, the situation is only going to get worse. Many struggling local authorities are already increasing charges, while other essential costs are rising. At Access Social Care, we have been working on cases where councils charging individuals for social care have not left them with the minimum income guarantee after social care costs have been applied – the legally mandated minimum level of income deemed possible to live on. The increase in benefits also falls far behind cost of living rises for unpaid carers, many of whom are already on their knees. This simply cannot go on.

Paying staff?

Social care as a whole is drastically underfunded by central government. Despite the Prime Minister’s promise to fix social care, this government – and politicians of all stripes – have failed to address the decades-old problem of underfunding – and the social care workforce being undervalued and underpaid. Salaries have not kept up with pay in other sectors. Now, with the cost of living rising more dramatically than in generations, care workers are leaving social care to take higher paid jobs in retail, hospitality, and the NHS. Who can blame them? There is only so much people can bear and only so far dedication to service can go before bills need to be paid and something has to give.