Age Concern demands £1bn for social care in pre-budget report

Age Concern has urged the government to plough £1bn into adult social care in the forthcoming pre-budget report to plug funding gaps in residential and home care.

The charity cited recent evidence from care analyst William Laing, of Laing & Buisson, who said local authorities would have to find another £540m to ensure all state-funded residential care was of the highest quality.

Age Concern said further funding was needed to reverse recent cuts in home care services.

With the government due to produce a green paper on long-term funding reform next year, Age Concern’s director general, Gordon Lishman, said: “At least £1bn of emergency funding is needed right away to patch up the current care and support system. The long-promised reforms to the system by the government cannot come soon enough.”

The pre-budget report is due on 24 November and will set out the government’s latest spending and taxation plans.

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