Budget fails to address crisis in social care funding for carers
Carers Trust responds to Chancellor’s future spending plans.
The Chancellor of the Exchequer, the Rt Hon Rishi Sunak MP, today announced the Government's commitments to future public spending as he set out the Budget.
Responding today to The Chancellor’s announcement, former Carers Trust Chief Executive Officer, Gareth Howells said:
“Once again, carers have been let down by the government in today’s Budget. We welcome the commitment to extra funds to deal with COVID-19. But we are deeply disappointed that, despite recent rhetoric, there is no sign of even the slightest commitment to the sort of long-term sustainable funding for social care that would represent the only real way out of the crisis. Carers have been left with more and more to do to fill in the gaps for the people they support, while their own needs are not met. And it’s not as if they are asking for much. Carers want simple things like a short break so that they can have a proper night’s sleep, or a couple of hours respite so that they can go to the supermarket.
“It has become all too clear that commitments made in the government’s manifesto and the Prime Minister’s pledges on entering office were little more than empty promises, aimed at securing positive headlines rather than actually addressing the crisis in social care through a commitment to long-term sustainable funding. A case can always be made as to why social care funding reform is to be delayed again – but we have to ask ourselves why it never is the right time. Especially when carers and local services have been looking for government leadership on this issue for far too long now.”