“Social care is treated as the Cinderella service, again”

7 September 2021 – London, UK – The national disability charity, Sense, have expressed disappointment at the Government’s health and social care funding announcement. 

It has been widely accepted that major changes are needed to the social care system, which provides support and care for older and working-age disabled people, helping with day-to-day tasks such as washing, dressing, eating and medication.

However, the Government’s long-awaited social care reform plans, revealed today, have prioritised the health system, with the social care system once again treated as the “Cinderella service”, according to Sense.

The ‘health and social care’ levy will raise £36bn, of which just £5.4bn goes to social care over the next 3-years.  The plan is that after 2025, when the NHS backlog is dealt with, money will then be directed to social care, but the charity is concerned the money won’t find its way back into social care.

Richard Kramer, Chief Executive at disability charity Sense, said:

“Once again, the social care system is treated as the ‘Cinderella’ service to the NHS.

“After years of promised reform, and a pandemic that has brought the social care system down to its knees, we can’t help but feel disappointed by the announcement.

“We welcome the immediate investment into social care, but we don’t have confidence that this is the long-term, sustainable and sufficient funding plan that was promised. Will the money really find its way back into social care after 2025?  We need a commitment from Government that this money will be ring-fenced, or we will never find our way out of this crisis.

We must ensure the care needs of the elderly and the disabled are addressed, and the cash doesn’t just end up filling other gaps within the wider health care system.

“This must be the first step in ensuring disabled people and those in vulnerable situations, many of whom have had their services cut over the last 18-months, are no longer forgotten and receive the right care and support.”