The Government has betrayed millions of vulnerable older people by failing to address the social care crisis in the Autumn Statement.
The Independent Care Group says the Chancellor missed an opportunity to fund social care properly, give vulnerable adults the care they are going without and ease pressure on the overstretched NHS.
Chair, Mike Padgham, says: "The Autumn Statement completely ignored the loud and irresistible pleas of care providers, charities and politicians to address the crisis in social care which is robbing vulnerable adults of the care they need.
"This decision will mean more care home closures, fewer hours of homecare delivered and misery for people who deserve better. This is a missed opportunity and with social care and the NHS both at breaking point, it will be one that will have huge repercussions for the future.
"The call for action was louder and greater than ever before and was coming from all corners and yet it has fallen on deaf ears again. How do we get change? Do we have to stand as MPs to get social care's case heard?"
The Independent Care Group called on the government to address social care in the Autumn Statement amidst fears that a perfect storm was driving the sector over the edge.
Mr Padgham adds: "We currently have four factors creating a perfect storm - ever increasing demand for more and more complex care; greater and greater scrutiny of that care; tighter and tighter budgets to work in and rapidly rising costs - including the rising National Living Wage.
"We have a sector in crisis; more and more people going without care, care homes and domiciliary care agencies folding or on the brink, and greater and greater pressure on the NHS."
Professor Martin Green, chief executive of Care England, also expressed his disappointment. He says: “Yet again the Chancellor has ignored social care. In doing so the Government needs to be prepared for the detrimental impact on families, local economies and the NHS.
"Social care needs to be a priority, indeed in some regions it is a huge employer and stability is crucial for those in receipt of care and those in its employment”.
As expected, the Chancellor raised the National Living Wage, from £7.20 to £7.50 by April 2017. While the adult social care sector applauds this, it needs to be accompanied by commensurate funding for the sector.
Martin Green continues: “Unfortunately the lack of investment in social care spells disaster in the NHS and potentially a perpetual winter.”
Janet Morrison, chief executive of Independent Age, adds: “The new Chancellor announced more money for physical infrastructure and support for business. Yet he failed to give any relief for the ‘social infrastructure’ that millions rely on – our health, care and support services.
"Nor did he help those care employers increasingly forced to desert the state-funded care sector due to lack of funding. The longer we ignore the problem, the worse it will get. No additional funding has been forthcoming and consequently hundreds of thousands of frail and elderly will continue to suffer as care services are cut back and fall into decline.”
