right to choice

Local authorities provide care services for more than a million frail and elderly people.

As a result of an ageing population, the Local Government Association estimates that taxpayers will need to find an extra £12 billion a year to fund care for the elderly by 2030, almost double the current annual cost of £14.5 billion. In addition, the number of people having to pay for their own care costs without any support from the state may double from the current number of 128,000 to 264,000.

With Ministers due to publish a White Paper on social care next month and the Cabinet Office launching a consultation on a ‘right to choice’, ensuring that services meet the needs of citizens whilst at the same time being sustainable remains critical. In a rural context – and hot off the press – the Commission for Rural Communities (CRC) has published research on access to social care.

The report investigates social care expenditure across local authority areas and expresses concerns as to whether the current distribution of resources, expenditure and activity is equitable. The report chimes with the work of the RSN which tries to tackle the assumption that local government allocations are robust and fair.