July 2018
Featured in this insight: Financial services, Local & regional government, Medical & healthcare, Public health & wellbeing
National taxation is needed to fix adult social care says nine out of ten councils: In a poll of Local Government Association (LGA) leaders and adult social members across 152 councils providing social care, 89% were in favour of national taxation. This, they said was 'part of the solution' to ensuring adult social care was financially stable in the future.
The survey also found that 96% of those questioned believe there is a national funding issue in adult social care.
It is the first time the LGA has conducted such a survey, which has been published before its Annual Conference in Birmingham (3-5 July).
The survey sought to gauge opinion on issues facing adult social care and how they could be remedied, as well as look at the options for funding. It is predicted that by 2020, there will be a funding gap of £2bn or possibly more.
In recent years, council tax increases have been made by social care councils in England to help bridge the gap in funding, however, 70% of councils polled felt that council tax increases were not the best ongoing solution.
In another LGA poll of the general public, 87 percent of respondents said government funding was key to eroding the funding deficit.
Cllr Izzi Seccombe, Chairman of the Local Government Association’s Community Wellbeing Board, said:
“Our surveys show beyond doubt that the overwhelming majority of both our national politicians, and the people they represent, will settle for nothing less than additional funding from Government to help solve the social care funding crisis.”
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