Government Spending Review – New evidence from United Kingdom Homecare Association (UKHCA)

Media release

23 November 2020

For immediate release

A recent survey conducted by YouGov shows that more than 9 out of 10 (92%) people aged 65 years and above agreed that:

“People would prefer to be supported at home, rather than in a care home”.

A view which 9 out of 10 MPs (87%) across all parties, also agreed with.

United Kingdom Homecare Association (UKHCA), which commissioned the survey, is calling on the Chancellor of the Exchequer to recognise the overwhelming preference for people to be supported in their own homes by providing sufficient funding for homecare services in Government’s spending review this week.

With over 1 million care and support visits to people in their own homes across England each day, UKHCA estimates the funding gap the Chancellor needs to close for the coming financial year requires an additional £1.4 billion. This is in addition to funding for any increase the Chancellor may also make to the National Minimum Wage and the additional costs created by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Homecare services have played a vital role in enabling people to remain at home safely throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, relieving pressure on the stretched NHS. The Chancellor needs to invest in ensuring these essential services, which have experienced under-funding over recent years, are given a sustainable footing.

Beyond the forthcoming Spending Review, which is intended to cover only a single year, the much promised — but completely stalled — review of the social care system and its funding, must additionally address the needs of the 1.5 million older people Age UK estimates are living with unmet needs in England alone.

UKHCA’s Chief Executive, Dr Jane Townson, said:

“All of us want to live well at home and flourish within our communities. Supporting people at home benefits individuals as well as their wider community of family, friends and neighbours and reduces cost and demand for the NHS.

“UKHCA’s research on the way that councils and the NHS purchase homecare has exposed gross inequalities across the country. Typically, areas with the highest deprivation invest the lowest amounts in supporting people to stay well at home. If this government is serious about “levelling up”, the Chancellor must invest in homecare.

“Health and wealth are interdependent and homecare services are thus a vital part of the foundation economy, as well as providing 715,000 jobs.”

Ends.

Notes for Editors

1. United Kingdom Homecare Association (UKHCA) is the professional association for more than 2,150 domiciliary care providers in Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

2. As a member-led professional association, UKHCA’s purpose is to enable a strong, sustainable, innovative, and person-led homecare sector to flourish. We represent and support our members so that people can live well and independently at home.

3. UKHCA’s members agree to abide by the Association’s Code of Practice, which can be found at www.ukhca.co.uk/codeofpractice.aspx.

4. The survey questions were polled by international research data and analytics group, YouGov (https://yougov.co.uk), on behalf of UKHCA.

5. A total of 2,058 adult members of the public were sampled between 8 and 14 September 2020.

6. A representative sample of 100 MPs were surveyed between 8 and 23 September 2020.

7. For further information please contact:
Matthew Kiernan, Press Officer
United Kingdom Homecare Association Ltd
Sutton Business Centre, Restmor Way, Wallington, SM6 7AH
Telephone: 020 8661 8188
Mobile: 07393 012113
E-mail: [email protected]
Website: www.ukhca.co.uk
Twitter: @ukhca
Registered in England, No. 3083104.