Social care charges: Disabled and vulnerable adults in UK hit by steep rises

Social care charges: Disabled and vulnerable adults in UK hit by steep rises
August 24, 2021, 5:10 am

disabled

The BBC News research reveals disabled and vulnerable adults in England are being hit by a steep rise in the amount they have to pay towards their care.

According to the BBC, some adults with learning disabilities are paying thousands of pounds extra a year, with six councils doubling the amount of money they receive.

In half of 83 areas that responded to a BBC request, bills across all users have risen at least 10% over two years.

The BBC said, directors of council care services blame years of government funding cuts.

BBC News sent 151 councils a Freedom of Information request asking how much those living in the community had to pay towards their care.

In the 83 that responded, the amount disabled and frail people are expected to contribute has risen from £369m in 2018-19 to £420m in 2020-21.

And the rise is particularly apparent for those with learning disabilities, who often need greater levels of support.

In 22 councils, the charges have risen by the equivalent of £500 per person supported, since 2018-19.

But in other areas, the charges have fallen since the start of the pandemic, during which time many people have had their levels of support cut.

And in one council, Hammersmith and Fulham, residents are charged nothing for their care.

Jackie O'Sullivan, from the charity Mencap that represents people with learning disabilities, said the charge rises meant "the least well off in society to make up for the shortfall ... that should come from the government".

Many were still receiving less support than before the pandemic but "having to make tough choices between food and heating, and paying for care".

And only 6% of those with learning disabilities were in work, making finding the extra money "impossible" for many.

Cath Roff, of the Association of Directors of Adult Social Services, said councils were "really stretched" after "10 years of austerity".

Calling on the government to "bring forward reform now", she said raising care charges was "not what any local authority would want to do - but... we need to stay solvent".

"We now have Covid, which has added extra pressures," she said.

"We've got people coming forward with increased needs - we have a workforce crisis."

The Department of Health and Social Care said it would bring forward proposals to reform the adult social-care system "later this year".

And since the start of the pandemic, it had "committed over £6bn to councils, through un-ringfenced grants to tackle the impact of Covid-19 on their services, including adult social care".

Source: BBC

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