60 charities beg the Prime Minister to fix the social care crisis

Four years on an alliance of more than 60 charities are pleading with Rishi Sunak to not backtrack on the promise to mend such a beautiful sector.

Yesterday marked four years since former Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, stood on the steps of Downing Street and pledged to ‘fix the crisis in social care once and for all.’

However, since 2019, the crisis has arguably deteriorated, and the sector has faced it’s toughest years yet. Faced with a global pandemic and the cost-of-living crisis, social care vacancy rates have hit the highest on record and patients have been forced to settle with not receiving the care they deserve.

However, when Rishi Sunak was appointed to be the latest Prime Minister in October 2022, in his first speech he vowed to ‘deliver’ on manifesto’s promise.

Despite this, the Care and Support Alliance (CSA) is concerned the drive for genuine reform has stalled.

Caroline Abrahams, charity director of Age UK and co-chair of the CSA said: ‘Since Boris Johnson pledged to fix social care four years ago, we have all been on a wild goose chase and one government policy after another has been announced with a fanfare, only to be subsequently shelved, diluted or dropped.

‘The transformational change in care provision that older people need to see and that was promised to them is yet to materialise, though with our ageing population it is needed more than ever.’

One of the main issues the social care sector is currently facing, alongside high vacancy rates, is funding. Britain’s welfare state is based on National Insurance contributions, yet no money is set aside to fund social care.

As it stands, in England anyone with assets over £23,250 has to pay to have themselves or a loved one looked after in a care home. This scandal sees frail dementia sufferers and their families cast aside.

The average cost of care for those living with the illness is £100,000 but can reach as much as £500,000. The cost of dementia to the UK is currently £36bn a year.

These eye-watering costs however, were supposed to be combatted by government policies. Adult social care charging reforms – including changes to the means test and an £86,000 cap on personal care costs – were due to be implemented from October but have now been delayed until 2025, after the next general election.

In addition, the new Health and Social Care Levy, which was supposed to help fund social care reform has been cancelled.

Against this backdrop, Independent Care Group chair, Mike Padgham has proposed five pillars for social care reform. These include:

• Calling for a ring fenced percentage of GDP to provide social care to those who already receive it and the 1.6 million who cannot get it
• The creation of a unified National Care Service, incorporating health and social care
• A National Minimum Wage per hour for care staff on par with the NHS
• The creation of an urgent social care task force to oversee reform
• To fix ‘fair price for care’ tariffs for things like care beds and home visits

Mike said: ‘We are reaching a pivotal moment for social care in this country and we need politicians to sit up and take notice of the situation that is unfolding before us.’

Image: Jordhan Madec