Government Passing the Buck on Social Care Funding

Government passing the buck on Social Care funding, here in Cornwall and throughout the Country.

There is a crisis in social care which is undermining the health service here in Cornwall. This weeks proposed short term ‘fix’ from the Government, enhancing Local Authorities ability to use the ‘precept’ to raise additional funds, is a sham say Cornwall Liberal Democrats.

“It means no new money and it also won’t raise anywhere near enough to have a serious impact on the problem. It particularly disadvantages Cornwall, who will be hit by a double whammy because Cornwall has higher than average numbers of older people and yet the second lowest incomes of any region in the country,” says Cornwall Liberal Democrat spokesperson Cllr Sue James.

“Sensible voices across the political spectrum, led by former care minister Lib Dem Norman Lamb, have been calling for years for a common approach, on a cross party basis, to tackle the crisis in social care. That crisis is now with us and we must act now.”

“On Cornwall Council, we have been targeting our expenditure on the most vulnerable, whilst doing our best to protect other services, but it is not sustainable without a long term national solution. The Government can’t just palm off this problem to local councils, especially with short term measures that will disproportionally harm people in Cornwall who desperately need care. The people of Cornwall deserve the same levels of support as those in richer parts of the country, rather than a post code lottery as a result of having to use Council tax to prop up social care, this can only come from national funding.”

Cornwall Council will now have to consider whether to increase Council tax by a further 1% to try to protect Adult Care Services more. However, it will not be enough to meet the funding gap.