Councils are concerned that the government’s adult social care reforms are “significantly underfunded”, which will threaten their implementation and exacerbate ongoing financial and workforce pressures.
A survey by the Local Government Association (LGA) ahead of its annual conference found that 98% of councils are not confident that the funding set aside to implement the charging reforms is sufficient.
According to the LGA, of the £36bn the new UK-wide health and social levy will raise over the next three years, only £5.4bn is ringfenced for social care reforms in England.
Cllr David Fothergill, chairman of the LGA Community Wellbeing Board said: “This survey lays bare the huge concerns of councils that the government’s charging reforms are significantly underfunded. This has the potential to tip councils over the financial edge.”
The survey of senior councillors responsible for adult social care across England also found that three quarters of local authorities are not confident that they will have enough frontline staff to deliver the reforms.
Vacancy rates across the sector have already led to over 500,000 people waiting for an assessment or care review, which is up from just under 400,000 in November 2021.
Fothergill added: “Underfunding these reforms will only exacerbate pre-existing significant pressures, which the reforms – and the funding for them – do nothing to address.
“Local government is seeking immediate assurances that the government will underwrite any additional costs councils incur and will work with councils as a matter of urgency to consider further mitigations that may need to be used if funding, capacity and timescale pressures threaten implementation.”
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