Councils Cut Social Care

The number of local councils in England cutting back on free adult social care has increased by 13% this year, a new survey has revealed.

The Association of Directors of Adult Social Services study found just 26 out of 148 councils grant funding to people in "moderate" or "low" need, down from 41 last year. This follows a steep reduction in central funding for local authorities. However, the government recently announced that it had allocated an extra £2bn a year by 2014-15 for social care services.

The survey also revealed that 19 local authorities had raised the bar on eligibility for free adult social care. Only 22 councils in England out of the 148 which responded will now fund those defined as having “moderate” needs, down from 36 last year. Within this bracket are people who are so ill or disabled that they have trouble preparing a meal for themselves or taking a bath.

Six councils have now opted to limit support for people who are deemed to be in "critical' need. In this category are those suffering from life threatening conditions. Some authorities claim that the need to save money is so great that it has left them with little choice but to cut back in one of their biggest areas of spending.

Michelle Mitchell, Charity Director of Age UK, commented:
“The safety of very vulnerable older people is being put at risk by these cuts. Taking services away from the most frail and disabled older people is not only inhumane, it is also counter-productive, since costs are simply passed to the NHS.

“Every day, thousands of families are already facing agonising decisions about care for their loved ones. These cuts increase the physical burdens on many family carers – and in some cases the rising charges will also result in service users and their families being forced to pay thousands of pounds extra.

“Local authorities are responsible for looking after the most disabled and vulnerable. Some of these cuts could even prove illegal under disability discrimination laws or under the Human Rights Act if the support people receive falls below the level that people need to live with dignity and in safety.”

The government set up an independent commission on social care last year, which is set to report its findings in July. This year long “pause” has been condemned by some as a delaying tactic on the part of Health Secretary Andrew Lansley.

Andrew Dilnott, chairman of the commission, said there was no doubt that social care was being squeezed and there was "a growing amount of unmet need”.

He said the current system seemed to "invite variability" and "there was merit in trying to find an assessment system... that seems to give people more of a sense that there was fairness and equality across the UK.”

Regardless of the cuts, he was adamant that the system needed to be reformed: "The balance between individual responsibility and state responsibility that we have at the moment doesn't seem to be the right one, it's widely seen to be unfair.”

Care Services Minister Paul Burstow commented: "The government is putting an extra £2bn into supporting social care by 2014 and there is an unprecedented transfer of cash support from the NHS to social care.

"But we know this is just a sticking plaster solution for a funding system that is broken and beyond quick fixes.”

Source: BBC News