Social care spending still £600m lower than in 2010

New analysis by the TUC has found that annual adult social care spending in England is still £600 million lower than a decade ago.

The analysis finds that in 112 of the 150 responsible local authorities, social care spending per head of the population is still below 2010, with spending per head eight per cent below the level in 2010 for England overall.

The TUC also highlights regional reductions, ranging from 18 per cent in London, to five per cent in the South East, East Midlands and East of England.

Social care in England has insufficient funding to meet demand, forcing councils to tighten eligibility and people to rely on informal care from family and friends. And it will be unable to meet future demand from a 49 per cent increase in those aged over 65 by 2040. The union’s report, Fixing social care: better quality services and jobs, sets out why the UK does not have a high-quality social care system, and how to improve it for those who use it, and those who work in it.  

The report calls for: a new funding settlement; immediate funding to fill all social care vacancies; fair pay and conditions for care workers; a national Social Care Forum, to bring together government, unions, employers, commissioners and providers to coordinate the delivery and development of services; a reduced private sector role; and a universal service free at the point of use.

Frances O’Grady, TUC General Secretary, said: “When the country needed them, social care workers stepped up. Care workers looked after older and disabled people in the midst of a pandemic, often without the right PPE, and often for low wages and no sick pay. Now it’s time to fix the broken system. Social care is badly underfunded. Pay and conditions for care workers are dreadful. And families can’t be sure of high-quality, affordable care when a family member needs it.

“As we face mass unemployment, ministers should act to unlock the 120,000 existing social care vacancies right now. And they should put investment in social care at the heart of our national recovery plan. Social care jobs should be decent jobs on fair pay, at the heart of every community. The TUC’s plan sets out how a full funding settlement for social care would work. Ministers can’t spend another decade hiding from the social care crisis.”