Jeff Smith, MP for Manchester Withington, has joined calls for the Government to address the crisis in our social care sector.

This week, Labour are highlighting the crisis in the social care sector after seven years of Tory/Coalition Government.  Since 2010, local authorities have seen their funding cut by £4.6 billion, leaving a social care funding gap of £2.1 billion by 2019/20.  Delayed transfers of care have doubled in the last three years, and there are now 1.2 million older people in England (1 in 8) living with unmet care needs

During the election, Labour promised an extra £1 billion of funding in 2017/18 and £8 billion by the end of the Parliament.  The Labour manifesto included an increase in the Carer’s Allowance, the extension of end-of-life care, and a pledge to end 15-minute visits.

Jeff said: “Labour has warned repeatedly of the growing crisis in social care. The competing pressures of an ageing population and chronic underfunding cannot go on.

In Manchester alone, we have seen our council budget cut by 43.4%, which has meant vulnerable people in our community not getting the care and support they need.

Theresa May must act now to make sure that councils like Manchester have the money to provide quality social care for all those who need it.”