The Care and Support Alliance’s response to the March Budget, 2017.

Vicky McDermott, Chair of the Care and Support Alliance, said:

“Today’s announcement is a welcome reprieve for social care but it isn’t a long term fix

“By committing an extra £1bn for social care in 17/18 and £1bn for the following two years, the Government has finally started listened to older people, disabled people and their carers to recognise the scale of the social care crisis.

“The Chancellor talked about fairness, however this money doesn’t create a fair social care system on its own; it just keeps our unfair social care system as it is for yet another year. The Government must ensure that all of this money benefits social care.

“The Green Paper on the future financing of social care must not kick this issue into the long grass and must quickly set out plans for a sustainable social care system. The clock is ticking and our social care system is still in crisis.

“Our current system is brutally unfair and leaves at least 1.2million adults without the basic care they need. Currently, inadequate social care puts people’s health at risk, increases pressure on families, means the NHS has to provide more expensive care to look after neglected people, and sees many care homes and other services closing because they aren’t given a fair price for care.

“This budget keeps the wolf from the door for another year. The Government must act quickly on longer term reforms.”