Recommendation 3

The Government is focused on long-term reform of adult social care, but in order to get to the future it needs to save the sector from the brink of collapse. Covid-19 has highlighted the underlying structural challenges of rising demand, unmet need, and difficulties recruiting and retaining staff, and has also exacerbated them. On top of that, there are severe current pressures arising from increases in the National Living Wage and the National Minimum Wage, and from rising inflation. We strongly disagree with the former Minister for Local Government, Faith and Communities that adult social care has adequate funding currently, having received compelling evidence that there is an immediate need for additional funding. The Government should allocate additional funding this year through the adult social care grant, cover inflationary pressures and unmet care needs, and should announce this as soon as possible so that local authorities can plan how to cope best with the pressures they are facing. (Paragraph 21) Funding gap