Roundtable: Social care Report Two: Mind The Cap: choices & consequences for financing social care (Evidence Session)

A second report on the wider financing of social care is essential. The question of who should pay for social care has been one of the most vexed policy debates of the past decade. The Coalition government chose to delay proposals to implement the Dilnot Report, while Theresa May lost the government’s majority following a manifesto commitment to reform social care. For the first time in a decade, however, clear proposals are emerging from the government with a majority to enact their will. For those organisations and local authorities who rely upon legislation to set out the future funding of social care, now is the moment to influence the debate on funding models. In September, Parliament agreed to increase National Insurance contributions by 1.25% in order to establish a new ‘Health and Social Care Levy’. This was packaged as a means to deliver increased financial support to the social care sector. It became clear that the £36 billion raised over three years would not go to the social care sector at first, yet would instead, until 2024, be used to reduce pressures on NHS and hospital services suffering backlogs in patient care post-pandemic. With a promise that this money will eventually be used to cover social care needs in three years time, there needs to be clear discussion about what these funds should be used for.

This roundtable is invitation only. If you wish to get in contact about attending, please email lottie.moore@publicpolicyprojects.com.