Chancellor delivers Spring Budget

Social care leaders have been left feeling disappointed that the care sector has not been properly recognised.

The Independent Care Group (ICG) says there was nothing in the Chancellor's speech to tackle the 1.6 million people who cannot get the care they need and that the announcement was a ‘further kick in the teeth for the care of the country’s most vulnerable’.

Professor Martin Green OBE, Chief Executive of Care England, said, ‘The Autumn Statement announced £7.5bn for the social care sector over the next two years, aimed at creating an additional 200,000 new care packages, supporting the discharge of people from hospital to ease NHS backlog, whilst also being split across adult and child services. Care England’s recent Fair Cost of Care analysis shows that, even with this funding, the deficit for older person’s residential and nursing home stands at around £2bn per annum. While the £7.5bn represented a step in the right direction, the Spring Budget was an opportunity to reinforce this progress and move towards a sustainable funding settlement for the sector. It was an opportunity that, unfortunately, the Government did not take, with a notable lack of any announcements targeted at the sector.’

Professor Vic Rayner OBE, Chief Executive of The National Care Forum, said, ‘The next General Election has to take place by the end of 2024, and the announcements made in the Budget are those that the Government is banking on making a tangible difference by then.