‘Pincer movement’ will make £1 billion gap in social care funding
worse, says Unite
17 March 2011
The £1 billion social care funding crisis – identified by The
King’s Fund – is a pincer movement that could damage services for
the disadvantaged and elderly, Unite, the largest union in the
country, said today (Thursday, 17 March).
Unite, said the pincer movement comprised of the estimated £4.5
billion funding gap for the voluntary sector, coupled with the
prevailing ideology of outsourcing some NHS services to
charities.
Unite, which has 100,000 members in the health service and
60,000 in the not for profit sector, called on the Chancellor of
the Exchequer, George Osborne to impose a 1p in the £ income tax
rise for those earning over £100,000 in next week’s Budget to help
close the voluntary sector funding gap.
The King’s Fund said in its report: Social care funding and the
NHS: an impending crisis? that local authority social care services
face a funding gap of more than £1 billion by 2015, despite the
additional funding announced in the 2010 Spending Review.
Unite national officer, Rachael Maskell said: ‘This report
highlights the pincer movement that will damage social care for
disabled children, the elderly and disadvantaged.’
‘Local council funding has been slashed by 27 per cent which is
having a very bad knock-on affect on not for profit organisations
providing social care, for example, Liverpool City Council has axed
its voluntary sector budget by £18 million and there is a possible
38 per cent cut in voluntary sector funding in Nottingham.’
‘On the other hand, you have the coalition’s current ideology,
encapsulated in the Health and Social Care bill, that outsourcing
of NHS services is the answer for social care – that’s going to be
problematical if the money is not there.’
‘The coalition has taken £5 billion out the not for profit
sector in terms of funding, but only put back about £500 million in
the way of transitional funding and the so-called Big Society
Bank.’
‘To reduce this funding gap, George Osborne should put 1p in the
£ on income tax for the top earners on £100,000 plus, ring fenced
to specifically staunch that funding chasm.’
‘A big issue for our members is that the infra-structure for agency
co-operation is disintegrating, which makes efficient and seamless
working between health and social care organisations much more
difficult.’
-ends-
Note to news editors:
For further information, please contact:
Unite National Officer, Rachael Maskell on 07768 693933
Unite communications officer, Shaun Noble on 07768 693940
The King’s Fund called for a single national settlement for
health and social care, and for budgets to be brought together.
