LGA Responds To Independent Age Report ‘A Taxing Question’

“This report is a positive contribution to the debate on what sort of care and support people want and how we fund these vital services”

Responding to the report ‘A taxing question’ by Independent Age, Cllr Ian Hudspeth, Chairman of the LGA’s Community Wellbeing Board, said:

“This report is a positive contribution to the debate on what sort of care and support people want and how we fund these vital services.

“People have a right to live the life they want to lead and high quality adult social care and support plays an essential role in this. It is also vital to society. It strengthens communities, reduces pressures on the NHS, supports around 1.5 million jobs and contributes as much as £46 billion to the UK economy.

“But work to find a long-term funding solution for adult social care and support has been kicked into the long grass by successive governments for the past two decades and has brought these services to breaking point.

“Adult social care services face a £3.5 billion funding gap by 2025, just to maintain existing standards of care, despite councils protecting adult social care relative to other services.

“Action is needed, which is why, following government’s decision to delay its green paper on adult social care, the Local Government Association has published its own green paper consultation to drive forward the public debate on what sort of care and support we need to improve people’s wellbeing and independence, the need to focus on prevention work, and, crucially, how we fund these vital services.