Government urged to act to halt a further drop in care spending

THE LEADER of the Yorkshire council which has seen the biggest reduction on spending on adult social care over the last decade has warned that further cuts will have to be made if the Government does not act.

Analysis by the TUC showed that regional councils spent almost £ 42m less on adult social care in 2020 than they did in 2010 – a drop of 2.4 per cent.

The spending change varied hugely across the region, with Barnsley the worst hit, spending 28 per cent less, a total reduction of £ 22m, while North Lincolnshire

saw the biggest rise in spending, an increase of £ 11.6m, or 31 per cent.

Of the 15 regional councils with adult social care responsibilities, nine saw a reduction in spending across the decade, including North East Lincolnshire at the second highest decrease with a 24 per cent drop and Wakefield Council was third with a 15 per cent fall. Six authorities increased spending – including East Riding spending an extra 12 per cent, while North Yorkshire saw a rise of 10 per cent.

Barnsley Council leader Stephen Houghton told The Yorkshire Post the authority had managed to “partially protect” adult social care amid a backdrop which had seen the council’s total funding drop by more than 40 per cent since 2010, mainly by passing on the cost to council tax payers using the social care precept. This had however, increased inequality in bills across the borough.

“That is not the way to fund adult social care,” he said. “The reality is, that across the North, and particularly in Barnsley, we have been hardest hit by Government cuts. It has to stop.

“Local services must be funded on a basis of need and there has to be substantial change.”

Increased pressures brought on by coronavirus meant the authority had been left with a £ 15m black hole through lost income via council tax payments and business rates. Should the Government not commit to covering future costs, “there will be future cuts”, Coun Houghton warned.

Across England, the TUC said spending on adult social care was £ 600m less this year than in 2010.

It said this year’s spending review should fully offset the cuts of the previous decade and establish future rises at a level that will allow local authorities to meet rising demand and improve pay and conditions for staff.

The TUC also called for funding to fill social care vacancies.

TUC general secretary Frances O’Grady said: “When the country needed them, social care workers stepped up. 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. Ministers can’t spend another decade hiding from the social care crisis.”

A Department for Health and Social Care spokesperson said:

“We are providing councils with access to an additional £ 1.5bn for adult and children’s social care this year on top of maintaining £ 2.5bn of existing social care grants, and we will support local authorities to meet rising demand and continue to stabilise the social care system. In addition we have made £ 3.7bn available to councils in England so they can address pressures on local services caused by the pandemic, including in adult social care.

“We know there is a need for a long- term solution for social care and are looking at a range of proposals as part of our commitment to bringing forward a plan that puts the sector on a sustainable footing for the future.”

Local services must be funded on a basis of need. Barnlsey Coucil leader Coun Stephen Houghton.