In response to today’s Spring Statement, Caroline Abrahams, co-chair of the Care and Support Alliance and charity director of Age UK said: “It is widely agreed that the social care system is engulfed in crisis and so disabled people, older people and their families and carers will be disappointed that there was nothing in today’s Spring Statement offering any relief.”

“Whenever the urgent need for more money for social care is raised with the Government the response back is that a Social Care Green Paper is in the process of being developed. But the promise of jam tomorrow won’t stop care services going bust and front line staff walking away in favour of better paid, less demanding jobs today. So the Spring Statement was a big missed opportunity so far as social care is concerned.”