Age UK responds to BBC Panorama news investigation on home care

Age UK has responded to a Panorama news investigation revealing that care companies are struggling to cope, with 95 handing back contracts to local councils and one in four at risk of insolvency.

Caroline Abrahams, Charity Director at Age UK said:

'These findings show how extremely fragile the social care industry, on which millions of older people depend, has become. It is why Age UK warned a few weeks ago of the risk of a complete collapse of care provision in the worst affected areas, potentially leaving vulnerable older people high and dry and worried families at their wits' end.

'We are in this mess because of years of cuts to public funding, coupled with rising costs. The Government's decision in the Budget to make an emergency injection of more than £2bn into social care was welcome but risks being too little, too late: we will have to wait to see if it is enough to persuade care providers who were intending to quit the market to keep going. However, if the attrition continues or worse still accelerates Government may have no choice but to step in with further funding later in the year. The alternative would be pressures on our hospitals which would be completely unsustainable.'

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Media contact:

Liz Fairweather 

Tel: 020 30331718

Email: liz.fairweather@ageuk.org.uk

Out of office: 07071243243