Council tax rises in 2019/20 will not generate enough funds to prevent the need for further cutbacks to the care that millions of older and disabled people rely on every day, the Local Government Association (LGA) has revealed.
Local authorities are able to raise council tax by 2.99 per cent on an annual basis to fund local services without the need for a referendum.
Some social care authorities remain able to levy an extra social care precept of up to 2 per cent (up to 4.99 per cent in total with the general flexibility) this year. Income from the precept must be spent on adult social care services.
With town halls across the UK setting their final budgets and council tax levels, annual research by the LGA reveals:
– 83 of England’s social care authorities are considering or have approved an adult social care precept in 2019/20 with 38 using the full 2 per cent precept available to them this year.
– 67 social care councils (44 per cent) are unable to levy any more social care precept in 2019/20.
These adult social care precept rises will raise an extra £197 million in total to pay for adult social care services this year. The LGS is warning this is not even equivalent to the estimated £290 million cost to councils of paying for the increase in the Government’s National Living Wage this year.
The LGA has estimated that even if all councils used their council tax flexibilities to the maximum allowed, adult social care services still face a funding gap of at least £1 billion in 2019/20, just to maintain existing standards of care.
Councils will have to divert funding from other cherished local services – such as bus services, parks, filling potholes, libraries and leisure centres – this year to try and protect adult social care services.
The LGA is calling for the Government to use its Spending Review to tackle the immediate adult social care funding gap and publish a comprehensive Green Paper on social care to find a truly long-term, sustainable funding solution to this adult social care crisis.
Cllr Richard Watts, chair of the Local Government Association’s Resources Board, said: “Adult social care provides vital support to millions of people every day but is at breaking point.
“Extra council tax income for adult social care has been helpful in recent years. For many that option has run out this year and the extra money the rest will raise will do little to prevent those who rely on services seeing the quality and quantity reduce.
“Raising council tax has never been the answer to fixing our chronically underfunded social care system. It has raised different amounts of money in different parts of the country, unrelated to need, and risked adding an extra financial burden on households.
“Investing in social care is the best way to keep people out of hospital and living independent, dignified lives at home and in the community. This is not only good for our loved ones but is proven to alleviate pressure on the NHS.
“Plugging the immediate funding gap facing adult social care and finding a genuine long-term funding solution must therefore be an urgent priority for the Government.”
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Arranmore Park Rest Home
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Ashville House
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Inspections are always daunting but I found the CQA to be polite and courteous at all times and easy to speak with
Astune Rise Care Home
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"The RDB Star Rating scheme has been a major contribution in the Council's mission to drive up quality in service provision. Yet again we see further increases in homes achieving the highest results."
Blackpool City Council
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Bushell House
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"RDB Star Rating has been at the forefront of measuring quality in residential care services for many years. The news that this excellent scheme has been accredited by UKAS, gives the general public and care providers an independently accredited view of quality. At a time when the quality of care services is constantly being scrutinised, RDB Star Rating is an independently accredited and universally acclaimed mark of quality."
Professor Martin Green, Chief Executive of Care England
Drive up quality in service provision
LCA has had a long association with RDB Star Rating and continues to promote its benefits to providers. Quality in care is not something owned by public and quasi-public bodies with an inspection/quality monitoring role to be imposed externally. It is something which is at the heart of a provider’s commitment to delivering quality care and support throughout the organisation. It gives a provider ownership of their quality processes. RDB Star Rating is an excellent means for a provider to make their commitment to quality visible and measurable
Paul Simic, Lancashire Care Association
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I see the quality of care provision in our authority steadily improving year on year - it's measurable and audited by an independent source and demonstrates a real improvement in the quality of life for the people in residential care - and that is what we are all here to achieve
Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council
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We have taken part in the RDB assessments for the last few years and now it has become an integral part of our annual quality assurance cycle. The company, residents and their families are given the re-assurance that we are providing and delivering ‘quality’ care and services, which have been assessed by an independently accredited third party
Rough Lee Care Home
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Wigan Metropolitan Borough Council
