Age Scotland calls for 'serious reform' of social care funding

Responding to the Accounts Commission report into local authority finances, we are calling on councils and the Scottish Government to work together to secure more funding for the struggling social care sector as a matter of urgency.

We recognise the report’s findings that there is a growing demand for social care across the country and that higher council tax charges create an expectation that robust and sustainable services, including social care, should be readily available for those in need.
 
Katherine Crawford, chief executive of Age Scotland, said: 

“Fixing social care should be priority for local authorities and the Scottish Government. The system is already close to breaking point and without substantial and long-term investment hundreds of thousands of the most vulnerable older people could be put at risk.

“It is not acceptable for one funding source to blame the other for the poor state of social care. Local authorities and the Scottish Government need to work together now to invest in this service which, even with its current challenges, saves the NHS considerable sums of money by allowing older people to live in their own homes.

“The Accounts Commission report highlights that local government is facing a budget shortfall of £647 million in 2025/26 and that capital funding is vital to deliver existing services. This should be a priority when it comes to social care to ensure older people in need can be looked after and kept safe in their own homes.

"Serious reform of the system needs to addressed as a matter of urgency. No amount of tinkering around the edges will deliver a national service that we can be proud of.”