Responding the National Audit Office report: Adult Social Care in England, Richard Hawkes, Chair of the Care and Support Alliance, said:

“This is another powerful reminder that chronic underfunding has left the social care system on its knees.

“This means more people struggling to get up, get washed, get dressed and get out of the house; more people becoming isolated, likely to slip into crisis. And, as the report shows poor-quality social care can lead to unnecessary emergency hospital admissions.

“This will place a huge pressure on family carers.

“The Care Bill remains a massive opportunity to improve the way people receive care.

“But we’re only half way there. We now need to focus on getting the funding right – councils say the Better Care Fund is not enough.

“We also need to get the roll-out right – eligibility has to be set at a level that means people that need support to do the basics get it.

“With the budget coming up there’s an opportunity to commit to creating not just a great bill, but a care system that gives older and disabled people – and the families that care for them – the support they need to do the things everyone else takes for granted.”

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