Councillors and others have told me that Wokingham and West Berkshire need more money to help provide good quality care services. I have regularly put this case to Ministers in public and private.
It is good news that in the budget the government promises an additional £240 m this year for adult social care, and the same again next year. There is in addition an extra £410 m next year for adult and children’s social care. We await the distribution of these sums between Councils. There is also an additional £55 m this year for Disabled Facilities grants for children and adults.
The government is also working on a Green (consultative) paper on adult social care to put the funding of this service on a “fairer and more sustainable footing”.
October 30, 2018
I have never understood why this Social Care commitment falls onto the Local Authorities.
Given we have a National scheme with National rules, surely it makes sense that it is funded properly by the Government as a whole, rather than Local Authorities having to beg for money to cover the cost.