Reaction to Liberal Democrats manifesto

Our Director of Policy Gemma Hope said:

‘There needs to be concrete and rapid action on the social care crisis whoever takes the keys to No.10.

‘We welcome the Liberal Democrats £7 billion cash boost to health and social care but there is little clarity on how this will be spent and the funding allocation to social care.

‘Spending on services for disabled adults of working age make up around half of the overall social care budget, but there’s also no reference made to their specific needs in this manifesto.

‘The ability of people to live fulfilling, independent lives are daily undermined because of cuts to social care. Free personal care, which brings dignity and independence, should be a right of everyone and we are disappointed this has not been prioritised.’

What we're calling for

We are calling on every party to commit to urgently bring forward proposals for a new sustainable funding model for social care and it is essential that this model includes the following features:

• Commit to ensuring the care and support needs of working age sick and disabled adults are central to any plan for change, as well as older people.
• Ensure social care is free at the point of use. The risk of paying for care should be pooled across the whole adult population, with care being free at the point of use.
• Social care must be accessible to those who need it. 
• There must be an independent, standardised national eligibility threshold and assessment process for social care.
• Eligibility to receive care should sit at the ‘moderate’ level.
• More practical and financial support should be made available for unpaid carers.