Older people ‘suffering due to cuts to social care funding’

Cuts to social care funding are creating significant inconsistencies in the quality of care provided to old people, according to a new report.

Analysis carried out by The King's Fund and the Nuffield Trust has uncovered evidence that the care and support older people receive has become increasingly dependent on where they live and how much money they have, rather than their actual health needs.

This is due to six consecutive years of cuts to local authority budgets, rising demand for services and shortages of staff, placing a growing burden on unpaid carers and leaving a rising numbers of older people without any support at all.

Reductions in fees paid by local authorities and other cost pressures such as the National Living Wage are threatening the business models of many residential and home care providers, while other companies based in affluent areas are stepping back from providing care for people funded by local authorities.

A growing funding gap is also emerging, which is expected to reach at least 2.8 billion pounds by 2019-20, with public spending on adult social care expected to shrink to less than one percent of GDP.

Richard Humphries, assistant director of policy at The King's Fund, said: "The failure of successive governments to reform social care has resulted in a failing system that leaves older people, their families and carers to pick up the pieces."

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