𝓤𝓷𝓲𝓽𝓮𝓭 𝓝𝓮𝔀𝓼

Council leaders have issued a plea to Andy Burnham for better funding as they warned a £7bn shortfall is set to make social care waiting lists even longer. A new analysis by the Local Government Association (LGA) found that costs are set to soar over the next three years because of growing demand for services that authorities are forced by law to provide, including help for homeless people and school transport for pupils with special needs. Authorities also face extra costs because of new recycling rules imposed by the Labour government, the LGA said.

As a result, the funding “black hole” will be £7 billion by 2028/29 – more than authorities spend on roads, transport and housing combined. Ahead of its Annual Conference in Bournemouth next week, the LGA said this risks leaving residents facing longer waits for adult social care assessments, rising homelessness, and cuts to neighbourhood services including road maintenance, libraries, parks and waste collections.

The LGA is calling on the next Prime Minister to announce a cross-party review of council tax, to try to find a new way of funding local authorities. Mr Burnham is expected to be confirmed in Number 10 on July 20.

LGA Chair Louise Gittins said: “The cost and demand pressures facing councils are unrelenting. In just three years, councils will need around 25 per cent more money simply to stand still. Without action, the services people rely on every day, from social care to safe streets, will be eroded.

“Whoever takes up the keys to Number 10 will have a lot of competing priorities. But fully funded, sustainable public services will need to be at the heart of any plans to improve lives and inspire hope in the future.”

Last year 900,000 people nationwide had requests for social care turned down, and 40,000 older people every year are forced into selling their homes to pay for the astronomical costs of residential care.

The LGA’s Annual Conference takes place in Bournemouth next week and speakers include Housing Secretary Steve Reed, Shadow Housing Secretary James Cleverly, Reform UK Education lead Suella Braverman and Green Party Leader Zack Polanski.

More people will be forced to raid life savings to pay for social care after the Department for Health announced it was freezing the level of assets people are allowed to own before they stop receiving care for free. The lower “capital limit”, at which people make a means-tested contribution to social care, will remain at £14,250. The higher limit, when people are forced to pay for all their care themselves, will be £23,250.

Freezing the sum, rather than increasing it in line with inflation, means it is cut in real terms and ensures growing numbers of older people will have to pay.

The thresholds include the value of the person’s home if they are in a care home permanently, and their property is not occupied by their partner, a relative over 60 or a child. In this case, they may be forced to sell their home to meet the costs of care.