🎥 Care & Support West on BBC Lunchtime News
Yesterday, David Smallacombe, CEO of Care and Support West, spoke to Points West BBC lunchtime news to speak candidly about the financial pressures facing care providers as a result of the rise in National Insurance contributions. His message was clear: unless urgent government action is taken, the care sector is at serious risk.
The rise in contributions translates to an additional £2,500 per full-time staff member per year.
Across the West of England, where there are around 37,500 care staff, this results in an estimated £90 million increase in overall costs to the sector.
While care providers are facing total cost increases of 9–11%, local authority funding uplifts are only covering 2–8% in most areas.
This shortfall leaves many providers unable to balance their budgets without cutting services, raising private fees, or dipping into non-existent reserves.
Some providers are now delivering care themselves without taking a salary just to keep their businesses afloat.
Others are being forced to increase charges to privately funded clients to subsidise underfunded government-funded placements.
🛑 Call for Action
Care and Support West, alongside other sector voices, is urgently calling on the government to exempt social care from the NI increase, as they’ve already done for health and local authorities.