Spring Budget: Extra £2bn to be spent on adult social care

Philip Hammond has announced that an extra £2 billion will be spent on social care over the next three years.

In his proposed final Spring Budget, the Chancellor of the Exchequer explained to the House of Commons that the pressure on the social care system was clear. He stated that in comparison to 2010, there are 500,000 more people over the age of 75, with the figure estimated to rise to 2 million over the next ten years.

Mr Hammond went on to highlight the importance of the NHS and local authorities working collaboratively in order for the system to function efficiently.

“We are ensuring that local authorities and the NHS work more closely together to enable elderly patients to be discharged when they’re ready, freeing up precious NHS beds and ensuring that elderly people are receiving the appropriate care for their needs.”

Also with the objective of easing the social care ‘crisis’, the Chancellor stated that an extra £2 billion will go towards funding social care over the next three years. £1 billion of this will be provided in 2017-18 to enable local authorities to act immediately to commission new care packages. Support care providers and form a bridge to the Better Care funding, available towards the end of Parliament. Further, the funding will be paired with specific measures to reduce the time taken for improvements to be made, targeted specifically at areas struggling the most.

Where long-term measures are concerned, the Government is committed to producing a more sustainable foundation for adult social care. Mr Hammond highlighted the upcoming green paper which will outline proposals to ensuring the system has a secure future.

“The long-term challenges of sustainably funding care in older age requires a strategic approach. The Government will set out its thinking on the options for the future financing of social care in a green paper later this year.”