Chronic underfunding of social care since 2010 is having a severe impact on local authorities – Barbara Keeley

Barbara
Keeley MP, Labour’s Shadow Cabinet Minister for Social Care, commenting on new figures which
show the number of NHS delayed days due to a lack of social care are up by
nearly a quarter compared with last year, said:

“These
are alarming figures. The chronic underfunding of social care since 2010 is
having a severe impact on local authorities under pressure to find social care
for vulnerable people, which in turn increases pressure on the NHS.

“The Tory
Government must listen to the will of the House of Commons expressed in our
recent debate on the funding of social care and as such we call on the
Chancellor to use his Budget and end the crisis in social care which Labour
recognised when we pledged an additional £8bn of funding in our election
manifesto. 

Ends 

Notes to
editors:

Text of
motion 

“That
this House notes the Conservative Party’s manifesto commitment to a funding
proposal for social care which would have no cap on care costs and would
include the value of homes in the means test for care at home; further notes
that this proposal would leave people with a maximum of only £100,000 of
assets; calls on the Government to confirm its intention not to proceed with
this commitment; and further calls on the Government to remove the threat to
withdraw social care funding for, and stop fines on, local authorities for
Delayed Transfers of Care and to commit to the extra funding needed to close
the social care funding gap for 2017 and the remaining years of the 2017
Parliament.”