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Disabled people of working age make up a third of care users in England. Many have been impoverished by high charges
On Monday John McDonnell set out Labour’s new flagship policy on social care. A Labour government would provide free personal care for people over 65 who need help with washing, dressing and eating and would invest an extra £8bn into adult social care over the next few years. The shadow chancellor also pledged to end the use of zero-hours contracts for care workers, and ensure they are paid a real living wage, including for time they spend travelling.
As anyone who currently needs care or who has battled to get it for a loved one will know, this is the sort of policy that will transform lives. Governments have long neglected to find a long-term solution for social care in the context of an ageing population, and the crisis has spiralled during a decade of austerity. Since 2010, £7.7bn has been cut from adult social care budgets in England, leaving 1.4 million people without the care they need. This is affecting millions more as family carers (largely women) are forced to plug the gap left by the state. That the Conservative’s long-promised green paper on social care is still MIA is emblematic of how those relying on the system have been forgotten. Continue reading...