Philip Hammond announces £650m injection into social care

Philip Hammond, Chancellor of the Exchequer, delivered the Autumn budget and care providers and the public alike were awaiting news on social care funding.

The Chancellor announced a £650m injection into social care for English authorities for 2019/20, and a further £45m for the disabled facilities grant in England in 2018/19.

The extra funding is on top of the promised £240m Matt Hancock announced earlier this year.

Mr Hammond said: “We will shortly publish our Green Paper on the future of Social Care, setting out the choices, some of them difficult, for making our social care system sustainable into the future.

“But I recognise the immediate pressures Local Authorities face in respect on social care.”

In his speech, the Chancellor said the funding will allow councils to improve services for older people, for people with disability and for children in care now while longer-term funding decisions will be made at the Spending Review.

Care providers have welcomed the announcement, but agree it is not sustainable to long-term and no guarantee it will be spent on social care.

Care England’s chief executive, Professor Martin Green OBE, commented: “The Chancellors announcement does not go anywhere near the amount required to put Social Care funding on a sustainable foundation, and unless the money is ring fenced, there is no guarantee it will reach the front line.”

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