Social care cuts to continue in spite of £1bn boost, English councils say
This story is very bad news for rural England where a disproportionate number of vulnerable older people live at home. It tells us:
Cuts to social care will continue this year despite ministers putting in an extra £1bn to halt the deterioration in services, senior council officials have said.
Local authorities in England plan to make £824m of savings in their social care budgets in 2017-18, according to research by the Association of Directors of Adult Social Services (Adass).
Older people who rely on councils to provide personal services at home or places in care homes will be hit again as social service departments struggle to reconcile rising demand and increasing costs with limited budgets, it warns.
Efforts to keep older people healthier at home, so they avoid unnecessary stays in hospitals, will also be reduced as councils switch money from prevention work into their general social care budget.
Despite more cash from both the government and the increased 3% precept on council tax bills for social care, the system “still remains on a cliff edge” as a result of deep cuts in recent years, Adass said.