Long Term Impact of Cuts to Social Care Funding
Councillor Gurmail Lal, Lead Executive member for Adult Social Services and Health has this weekwritten to Government Minister Paul Burstow to voice his concern about the long-term impact cuts to social care funding could have on disabled people in the local area.
Councillor Lal echoed the concerns of the Local Government Association (LGA) which has warned that ‘virtually all’ councils in England and Wales will be forced to abandon home help for elderly and disabled people due to the £3bn funding shortfall.
“I didn’t get into to politics to prevent people accessing the kind of services they need and I don’t think the Government truly appreciate the consequences of what these kinds of cuts mean to ordinary people” said Councillor Lal.
The leading experts in the field as the King’s Fund maintain that a 3% increase in social care funding is needed to meet the genuine need that exists in England and Wales.
“The Government’s decision creates a huge funding shortfall for local councils, but the practical consequence is that that disabled people could be denied the kind of vital social care services they need” said Richard Hawkes, Chief Executive of leading disability charity Scope.
Councillor Lal also raised concerns that money was being put before people in the race to make savings, adding that Councils were being placed in an ‘impossible’ position by Central Government.
“It is right and proper that Councils should voice their concern to the Coalition where they feel that the interests of their constituents are being overlooked” concluded Councillor Lal.
January 7, 2011