Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the Local Government Association's survey on adult social care reform, published on 27 June 2022, what assessment his Department has made of the implications for its policies of the findings of that survey that over 98 per cent of local authorities do not have confidence that the funding for the Government’s adult social care reform agenda is sufficient; what assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of the £5.4 billion of funding allocated to this agenda; and whether his Department is taking steps to (i) reassure local authorities that that funding is sufficient and (ii) ensure that people who require care are paying a fair price.

No formal assessment has been made. However, on 8 March 2022 we published an impact assessment on the costs of implementing the reforms, which is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/build-back-better-our-plan-for-health-and-social-care/adult-social-care-charging-reform-public-sector-equalities-duty-impact-assessment

The impact assessment provides the cost modelling for the £3.6 billion announced for the charging reforms. This includes the costs to local government of implementing the charging reforms including the cap, the increased capital limit, moving towards paying a fair rate of care and the associated implementation costs. We are working with local authorities to prepare for implementation, including engaging on the estimated cost of reform. We are committing £1.36 billion to the Market Sustainability and Fair Cost of Care Fund which will support local authorities to move towards paying providers a fair cost of care.