Social care funding to be halved in move described as ‘insult’ and ‘shameful’ | Politics news

Social care funding in England is to be cut in half – a move which has been described as an “insult” by one charity and “disgraceful” by a trade union.

The Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC) announced on Tuesday that it would provide £250 million for the workforce.

However, in its White Paper on Social Care for Adults, published in December 2021, the government pledged to invest “at least £500m over the next three years to start transforming the way we support social care workforce.”

The White Paper also pledged to invest “at least £150m” in digitization across the sector.

The latest announcement includes £100m to cover investment in digital social records, with the department saying £50m has already been spent.

Tuesday’s announcement made no mention of the previously announced £25m to support unpaid carers or the £300m mentioned in the White Paper to integrate housing into local health and care strategies.

But the department later clarified that support for unpaid carers would be rolled out in due course.

Charities have criticized the funding cuts, but the DHSC said up to £600m of funding has yet to be committed and will be invested over the next two years.

Jackie O’Sullivan, of disability charity Mencap, said: “This plan is an insult to a sector that was once considered a priority for the government.”

She said the reforms promised in the White Paper were “now diluted beyond recognition” for a sector facing a shortage of 165,000 health workers.

“Without this workforce, nothing else is possible: improving the quality of medical care cannot be achieved; innovative ideas cannot be implemented; and people with learning disabilities who rely on social assistance will suffer,” she added.

“The Government must act quickly on the real issues of pay, timely access to support and underfunding the system before it’s too late.”

Natalie Grayson, from the GMB union representing social workers, called it a “disgraceful decision” but expected nothing more from the government.

The Royal Trust’s health think tank said the measures were “a dim shadow of the far-reaching reform of social care for adults that this government came to office promising”.

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Age UK said the plans were not “far-reaching enough to transform social care”.

A report by Care England and health care provider HfT warned in March that social care for adults is “on a cliff” when it comes to spending.

Low staff service pay was seen as the biggest barrier to recruitment and retention, the report said.

Social Security Secretary Helen Whatley spoke at Care England’s annual conference last month, where she insisted the government was “supporting social care”.

She said on Tuesday the package was “focused on giving care the status it deserves”.

She said it focused on “making better use of technology, the power of data and digital care records, and more funding for councils – with the aim of creating a care system we can be proud of”.