Social care for people with disabilities is 'chronically underfunded', warns charity

Severe underfunding has meant that people with disabilities, who rely on social care for their independence, are often left hungry and isolated from the rest of society, according to disability charity, Scope.

Research by the charity has revealed that more than half of people with disabilities struggle to get the vital care they need and fewer than 18 per cent are given the right support package to meet their basic needs.

Mark Atkinson, chief executive at Scope, said: “Our findings show the horrific consequences that disabled people face as a result of our chronically underfunded social care system.

“Disabled people have told us they are waiting fourteen hours to go to the toilet, sleeping in their clothes, unable to eat or wash and left socially isolated.

“Social care enables disabled people to get up, get dressed and get out of the house. It means people can live independently, work, volunteer, participate in society, contribute economically and live full, meaningful lives.

“But the social care funding gap is growing by at least £700 million a year because of increasing demand, higher care costs, the new living wage and a reduction in grants from central Government to councils.”

Scope’s report titled ‘Disabled people’s experiences of social care’, has highlighted that one in ten people who rely on social care for all areas of life, fear they will lose support entirely.

Findings also revealed that social care packages for 83 per cent of people with disabilities do not include enough hours, and 41 per cent are not given enough choice or control over the type of care they receive.

Previous reports have suggested that social care is vital in providing support for people with disabilities, enabling them to live as independently as possible and participate fully in society. However, 55 per cent of the 500 disabled people surveyed by Scope said social care ‘never supports their independence’.

The Association of Directors of Adult Social Services (ADASS) has further argued that funding for adult social care must keep pace with the growing demands. A spokesperson for ADASS stated: “The current combined pressures of insufficient funding, growing demand and extra costs mean that adult social care is facing a funding gap that is growing by at least £700 million a year.

“This is estimated to reach £2.9 billion by the end of the decade, even before the cost of the National Living Wage is taken into account in full.”

Scope has called for a sustainable funding solution for a social care system which has lost £4.6 billion in the last five years and resulted in 400,000 fewer people receiving care. The charity has submitted its report to the Treasury ahead of this month’s Comprehensive Spending Review (CSR).

Commenting on the impending Spending Review, Mr Atkinson added: “Councils have repeatedly warned of the severe consequences of this financial black hole. The social care system is crumbling under severe financial pressure and this is set to intensify when the Spending Review further reduces the funds available to cash-strapped councils.

“This month’s Spending Review is a crucial moment for the Chancellor to rescue the social care system and its vital services, through a sustainable funding solution. Disabled people’s lives depend on this investment.”

Chancellor George Osborne has so far reached a deal with 11 departments, which will see cuts in real terms funding of an average of 24 per cent over the next four years, adding up to £4 billion of savings by 2019/20.

The research was carried out by Scope as part of the Disability Partnership with the National Autistic Society, Mencap and Sense. The collaboration is part of the Health and Social Care Voluntary Sector Strategic Partnership Programme, funded by the Department of Health, NHS England and Public Health England.