News Story

The CSA’s response to the Spring Budget 2020

March 11, 2020

Caroline Abrahams, Charity Director at Age UK and Co-Chair of the Care and Support Alliance, said:

“Given the threat posed by the Coronavirus we understand why the Chancellor decided to prioritise strengthening our national resilience and we are pleased that the NHS and social care are both in the mix for extra emergency funding if required. We also note the very substantial additional infrastructure investment that the Chancellor announced today and the fact that the refinancing and reform of our social care system seems to have been passed over yet again, making us worry that by the time the Government decides on what it wants to do to ‘fix social care’, as it has promised, there may not be the funds left to do all that needs to be done.”

“After so many disappointments there’s bound to be a concern that social care is destined to be always the bridesmaid and never the bride, and unfortunately today’s Budget did nothing to alleviate our anxiety.”

What was announced in the budget regarding social care:

A COVID-19 response fund of £5bn is to fund NHS and support LAs to manage pressures on social care.

From the Government Red Book:

“1.90 COVID-19 response fund – HM Treasury is creating an emergency response fund, set aside to ensure the National Health Service (NHS) and other public services have the resources they need to tackle the impacts of COVID-19. Initially set at £5 billion, it will fund pressures in the NHS, support local authorities to manage pressures on social care and support vulnerable people, and help deal with pressures on other public services. The size of the fund will be reviewed as the situation develops, to ensure all necessary resources are made available.”

Also as already announced, £1bn for adult and children’s social care next year.

“1.111 The government is committed to long-term reform of adult social care and the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care has written to parliamentarians to begin building cross-party consensus on reform. Ahead of those discussions, the government will invest £1 billion of additional funding for social care next year, as announced at Spending Round 2019. The Budget confirms that this additional funding will continue for every year of the current Parliament to continue to stabilise the system.”