'The social care crisis needs to be fixed'
Mark Binns said he had little faith any party had the answers to the crisis
- Published
A care home manager is calling for a "complete overhaul" of how social care is funded.
Mark Binns, who manages Milford House near Belper, Derbyshire, says some residents have to pay hundreds of pounds of top-up costs every week to pay the home's fees.
He got in touch with the BBC via Your Voice, Your Vote to call for changes in social care and said there should be an increase in tax to pay for it.
But Mr Binns said he did not think any of the political parties would take action to fix the problems in the care system.
Mr Binns, runs Milford House, near Belper
He said: "There isn't enough money coming from central government to local authorities to pay for the increasing need of social care within the country.
"I see little in any manifesto [of any of the political parties] that says that anybody has the wherewithal to be able to come up with a solution and I find it disappointing that there isn't more emphasis on the funding problem that is there."
Residents receive funding from their local authority if their savings fall below £23,250.
But Mr Binns said when residents do get funding they are often left with hundreds of pounds to pay each week.
David Gilbert said the situation faced by his mother-in-law was unfair
David Gilbert, whose mother-in-law is a resident of Milford House, said: "The thing that gets me is she is 88 years of age and at one point she had three jobs.
"She is part of a typical English family that has built up a home and that has what she has got at the end of a long and hard working life.
"That home is now being sold to finance her care - that is harsh."
A Derbyshire County Council spokesperson said: “The council sets fee levels at a rate that is affordable.
"If any resident, or a member of their family finds that they have an issue with fee levels we are always happy to work with them to see if we can find a solution that is in the interest of the care home resident and is affordable for the council.”
What have the parties promised on social care?
The Conservatives have pledged to give local authorities a multi-year funding settlement to support social care at the next spending review along with pressing ahead with plans to cap social care costs from October 2025.
Labour has promised to undertake a programme of reform to create a National Care Service, with services locally delivered and guided by a principle of supporting people to live independently for as long as possible.
The Liberal Democrats have pledged free personal care for everyone who needs it plus an increase in the Carer's Allowance and the introduction of a Carer's Minimum Wage.
Reform UK said it would develop a national plan for a sustainable social care system and simplify social care through a single funding stream rather than the split between the NHS and local authorites.
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