Commenting on HSCIC’s Community Care Statistics: Social Services Activity, England 2014-15, Janet Morrison, Chief Executive of Independent Age, the older people’s charity, said:
“Today's figures paint an alarming picture of social care services cut back to the bare bones. More than half (59% or nearly 1.1 million) of people who ask for help from their councils receive no help at all or are given information and then signposted on to someone else - often a charity or community group.
“This is a direct result of £4.6 billion cuts to social care budgets since 2010 and comes despite an ageing population which is increasing the need for these services.
“And as today's figures also show, these cuts often cause increased costs elsewhere - there has been a rise of nearly 20% for those patients being delayed from leaving hospitals on account of social care and other NHS services not being in place. Without an honest debate about the true cost of social care this situation looks set to get worse and it is the frail and vulnerable who will lose out.”