Call for cross-party review of social care funding

A group of MPs have urged Prime Minister Theresa May to find a ‘political consensus’ on funding social care in England before 2020.

The heads of three Commons committees have argued that a ‘swift’ cross-party review would be the best method of finding a ‘sustainable way’ to fund rising social care costs.

Due to pressures arising from an ageing population, inflation and the cost of paying the National Living Wage, the Local Government Association (LGA) estimates there will be a £2.6 billion funding gap in providing adult social care in England by 2020.

Therefore, Clive Betts, chairman of the Communities and Local Government committee, Meg Hillier, chairman of the Public Accounts Committee and Dr Sarah Wollaston, chair of the Health Committee, have all signed a letter stating that a long-term solution can only be found if there is cross-party consensus, with the Commons Health Committee already stressing that the social care system was at ‘breaking point’.

The MPs wrote: “Given the scale of rising demand, this immense challenge will face whichever party is in government over the coming decades.

“We also feel that the ongoing separation of health and social care is creating difficulties and avoidable barriers and inefficiencies. Any review should cover the two systems. We are calling for a new political consensus to take this forward."

Cllr Izzi Seccombe, chair of the LGA’s Community Wellbeing Board, said: "We completely support the select committees in urging the Prime Minister to reach a cross-party agreement on the future of health and social care funding.

"Following last month's Local Government Finance Settlement, we said there needed to be an urgent and fundamental review of social care before the spring Budget, and we are pleased the select committees back this.

"But it is absolutely vital that local government leaders, who are responsible for social care in their local community, are part of that review. This is imperative to get a long-term, sustainable solution to the social care crisis that the most vulnerable people in our society deserve."