£500m national funding gap for older people’s social care
Age UK Gloucestershire is supporting the launch of the national charity's Care in Crisis 2012 report. The report shows that this year spending on older people's social care in England has fallen half a billion pounds[i] short of even maintaining the inadequate levels of provision in place when the Coalition came to power.
In light of the new research, is urging people Age UK Gloucestershire to support the charity's nationwide Care in Crisis campaign by signing up to a petition demanding urgent reform to the current care and support system.
In the report, Age UK shows that in order to maintain the same levels of service as in 2010, the Government ought to be spending £7.8 billion this year. In fact councils across England have only budgeted £7.3 billion in the face of substantial reductions in central government funding.
Age UK's analysis shows that the combined impact of growing demand for services and a £341 million reduction in older people's social care budgets this financial year – equivalent to a 4.5% cut – has created a £500 million national shortfall.
This funding gap comes after several years of stagnating and then decreasing social care spending. Since 2004 the number of people aged over 85, and most likely to need care and support, has increased by over 250,000[ii]. The increasing demand, combined with a decrease in real terms spending on social care has created a real funding crisis.
To sign up to Age UK's Care in Crisis petition calling for urgent care reform, please either visit www.ageuk.org.uk/careincrisis , go to your local Age UK office or Age UK charity shop.
[i] NHS information Centre, DCLG and PSSRU Modelling for Age UK, (2011 prices)
[ii] ONS Population estimates, mid-2004 – mid 2010. Accessed via ONS website. England only figures
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