Ali Gunn, United Response’s Public Affairs and Policy Lead, said:

“In the last five months, there have been three Prime Ministers, four Chancellors of the Exchequer, three Secretaries of State for Health and Social care and zero action on meaningfully reforming social care.

“Increased funding for adult social care is a step in the right direction, but it offers little shelter for a sector weathering a storm of inflation, rising costs and growing unmet needs. Today’s announcements are short-term solutions for what are long-term problems that need strategic investment to ensure that support is available to society’s most vulnerable.

“Forget jingle bells – alarm bells are ringing across the social care sector this winter. The latest Association of Directors of Adult Social Services survey shows that providers have had to deliver £1.8 billion in savings over the last three years, whilst staff shortages are at 52% high and climbing. Without an adult social care workforce strategy, more health and care staff will quit, services will be further stretched, and people will be at greater risk of harm.

“Whilst we fully support benefits being uprated, they must be coupled with accessible energy support packages in place to ensure disabled households are not left out in the cold through no fault of their own. 29% of disabled households are already experiencing serious financial difficulty, and disabled workers face almost double the rate of unemployment as non-disabled workers. Robust welfare and supported employment schemes must safeguard against more people falling into poverty as we enter our second recession in a decade.”