Care in Crisis 2012 report

Age UK’s  new Care in Crisis 2012 report reveals that this year spending on older people’s social care in England has fallen by £500 million and the funding gap is growing.

We project that by 2012-2013 the Government would need to spend £1 billion more than this year to stop the situation getting any worse. This is Age UK’s second report detailing the depth of the care funding crisis, and is part of our campaign to put pressure on the Government to reform adult social care.

The current system is at breaking point

Social care is any service ranging from help in the home for dressing to 24-hour support in a residential care home. These services are designed to help people to maintain a good quality of life, remain independent, stay active and protect them in vulnerable situations.

The current system is unfair, confusing and unsustainable. Many of those who need help and support are being badly let down by a system at breaking point, while others find themselves having to sell their homes in order to pay for the support they need.

Care in Crisis report - key findings

Our report has found that the widening funding gap has led to a reduction in service provision, increasing charges levied by councils for their services and less older people receiving the support they need. For example, the total hours of care support that local authorities purchased for older people fell from £2 million to £1.85 million in 2009-10.

Other key findings contained in the report include:

• Many older people do not receive any support at all: Today of the 2 million older people in England with care-related needs, nearly 800,000 do not receive any formal support.
• Not enough money is being spent on older peoples’ care: Since 2004 the number of people aged over 85, who are most likely to need care and support, has increased by over 250,000.
• Councils have cut back on their service provision: In 2009-10 the total hours of support purchased by local authorities for older people fell from 2 million to 1.85 million.
• Charges for care provision are increasing: Every older person using local authority care services is now being charged £150 per year more in real terms in 2010-11 than in 2009-10, and £360 more than 2008-09. 

Urgent reform required so everyone gets the care they need

The daily reality of the current social care system can be understood through the experiences of people like David Gower, who has severe mobility problems and relies on carers four times a day. For him cut backs to his home care service has led to a reduction in time with his carers and a big increase in the charges he pays for care. What he wants is 'a proper "carers" service'.

Age UK is calling on the Government to reform the care system for older and disabled people so that everyone gets the care they need to live with respect and dignity.

 Read Age UK's Care in Crisis 2012 report