Staffordshire County Council is voicing concerns about the role taxpayers are playing in helping to foot the rising bill for Adult Social Care.
The council has set aside around two-thirds of next year’s anticipated £587 million net budget for the provision of social care for the elderly and for supporting vulnerable children and young people.
The combined cost of Adult Social Care and protecting vulnerable young people means that for every £10 the authority spends, £3.50 remains for highways, libraries, country parks, recycling centres and other services.
A significant proportion of council tax revenue is ring-fenced for social care.
Though the Council is pledging a balanced budget for 2023/24 which will maintain investment in highways and infrastructure, business development, school buildings and apprenticeships, it wants clarity over long-term Government funding prospects.
Ian Parry, Staffordshire County Council’s Cabinet member for Finance and Resources, said: “We are a well-run, stable authority that continues to invest in the future while supporting those who need help now.
“So we will balance our books for the coming year, partly helped by the Govrnment postponing the Adult Social Care reforms for two years, but there is a feeling that serious challenges are just around the corner unless something changes.
“We are still waiting for a fairer way to allocate grant funding to councils and we cannot leave local taxpayers to bear the funding of Adult Social Care – we still need a sustainable long-term solution at a national level.”
