Saving social care: A fair funding settlement for the future

Article

Adult social care has been cut substantially since the onset of austerity. This is increasingly having severe consequences on the frontline including rising unmet need and pressures on quality and safety. These pressures are likely to increase as demand for care grows ahead of available funding, resulting in a £2.7 billion funding gap by 2020/21 and £9.5 billion by 2030/31.

In looking to fill this funding gap, government should ensure that any solutions are simultaneously sufficient to fill the gap; inter and intra-generationally fair; and politically achievable. This report has looked at four options – means testing Winter Fuel Payments; scrapping the Triple Lock on pensions; raising National Insurance Contributions and increasing Inheritance Tax – and measured them against these three criteria.

Related items

  1. A person sits at a desk in front of a laptop. A semi-transparent screen shows a digital AI agent

    Strike while AI is hot: Rebuilding worker power for the age of AI

    How worker power should be reanimated in the face of AI-driven labour market shocks.
  2. The exterior of the Ministry of Defence building

    The Europe agenda: Defence and security

    In this period of geopolitical chaos, greater defence and security integration offer a fruitful way for the UK to deepen its relationship with Europe.
  3. Rear view of unrecognizable people walking together on the street

    A tough hand: Why rising youth inactivity demands urgent action

    On Thursday, new data will likely show the number of young people who will be out of education, employment or training (NEET) will surpass 1 million for the first time since 2013.