Dear Chancellor, invest in social care to prevent a care 'vacuum'

Dear Mr Osborne,

We represent 72 of the country’s care and carer charities. As well as helping people with care needs in their homes we also support unpaid carers by providing information and advice, training, emotional and peer support, ensuring they stay active and healthy and can continue to provide unpaid care, backing up our stretched health and social care systems.

High quality care, delivered by well trained and properly supported staff, is vital. Without it, many disabled and older people would not have the chance to remain independent in their own homes and unpaid carers and their family members would not be given the opportunity to take a break from their caring role.  

Paid care work is not easy and must be valued and recognised. We need to ensure care workers are paid fairly for the difficult and stressful job they do and we need to attract and retain skilled and passionate people to the care workforce. That is why we welcome your intention to see every social care worker paid at least the new National Living Wage by April 2016.

However, this ambition will not become a reality without investment. The UK Homecare Association estimates that councils will need at least an additional £753 million in funding to ensure that care providers have the resources needed to pay staff the new Living Wage when it comes into force next April. 

Without this, many care providers, including some in the Carers Trust network, could be forced to exit the market, leaving a vacuum where those needing care are simply not able to find anyone to provide it, increasing the responsibility on unpaid carers.

We urge the Government to provide adequate investment for social care in the forthcoming Spending Review.

We ask for your support in ensuring the sustainability of organisations providing care so that older people, disabled people and their families who need care in the future are able to find it. 

The letter was signed by Gail Scott-Spicer, Chief Executive Officer​ of the Carers Trust, and 71 other care and carers charities. A full list of signatories can be viewed here.