Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 5 January 2016 to Question 20446, on severe disability premium, whether the Government plans to (a) uplift the social care budget and (b) transfer funds from the Department for Work and Pensions to his Department to compensate for the phasing out of the severe disability premium and the transfer of costs for care to be picked up through the social care system; and if he will make a statement.

The Government has already taken several steps during this Parliament to help secure a strong and sustainable social care system. Most recently in the 2017 Spring Budget, the Chancellor announced that councils will receive an additional £2 billion over the next three years for social care; with £1 billion of this to be provided in 2017-18. Taken together with the steps announced as part of the Local Government Finance Settlement, this means that councils will have access to £9.25 billion more dedicated funding for social care over the next three years, as a result of measures introduced by the Government since 2015.

In relation to the severe disability premium, this reform of social security removed duplication from the system and I refer the Hon Member to the Answer of 29 January 2016 to Question UIN 24311 - http://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/written-questions-answers-statements/written-question/Commons/2016-01-26/24311/.