Age Concern and Mencap knock councils for adult care cuts

Age Concern and Mencap have lambasted councils after figures showed English authorities spent less on adult social care in 2007-8 than in 2006-7.

The statistics from the NHS Information Centre revealed that spending fell by 0.5% once inflation had been taken into account, with a 1.7% fall in spending on older people.

Age Concern director general Gordon Lishman said: “Council leaders and ministers should hang their head in shame. It beggars belief that less is being spent on older people than a year ago.  

“Cutting spending inevitably means cutting services, just at the point where the older population is rising and demand is increasing.”

Despite spending increasing for people with learning disabilities, Mencap head of policy and campaigns David Congdon described the overall cut in adult expenditure as “outrageous” and called for substantial new funding from the government.

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