Social Care Funding Matters
Social Care Funding Matters – our June 2024 campaign to raise awareness about the current problems with social care funding.
Raising awareness about the current issues with Social Care Funding
The costs of paying for care frequently make front-page news as this often involves people having to use up most of their savings and sell their home to pay their care fees. There has also been a lot of publicity about hospital bed blocking and the social care crisis. The sad fact is that fourteen years from the first proposal to cap social care costs, the law still hasn’t changed.
Martin Searle Solicitors is a campaigning law firm and are committed to access to justice.
Throughout June 2024, the Community Care Law team at Martin Searle Solicitors are running their campaign Social Care Funding Matters, to raise awareness about the current problems with social care funding. Their Community Care Law Team will provide practical advice and assistance to individuals keen to find out more about what how to access social care funding and the services they are entitled to under the Care Act. Their advice is also available to professionals such as accountants, financial advisors, private client lawyers and professional deputies who also have to offer advice about paying for care.
The situation around social care remains very challenging. A July 2023 Age UK study found that 1.6 million adults aged 65+ in England are living with some level of unmet need for care and support, and that over 13,000 adults are ‘stranded’ in hospital every day, up from 4,500 in 2019.
A BBC survey from September 2023 found that local authorities will have to cut at least £467m from social care budgets in the 2024 financial year in order to balance the books. Carers UK estimated in January 2024 that there are approximately 5 million unpaid carers in England and Wales, whilst Age UK found that 20% of unpaid carers are aged 60+.
The most recent review of Adult Social Care Complaints from the Local Government Ombudsman found that 79% of complaints from the public about social care charges were upheld.
The Community Care Law team have found that much of the information published by the media is incomplete, misleading, or does not represent the true nature of the care funding system. This means that a large number of people do not access the financial support from health or social services that they are legally entitled to.
