Autumn Statement | Age UK Blog

Category Archives: Autumn Statement

Working together to support older people

Posted on January 2, 2013 by Michelle Mitchell | 5 Comments

The Autumn Statement announced bleak growth figures and more cuts ahead, reminding us all, once again, we face hard times and unprecedented and prolonged pressure on public services many of which older people rely.

This is why now, more than ever, we all need – the government, public, private, and voluntary sectors and individuals – to work together to meet the challenges and maximise the opportunities our growing ageing population presents.

Age UK, together with our national and local partners, is playing its part. In 2012 we reached over 7 million older people with our information and advice services, our handy person service visited nearly 14,000 homes and we helped more than 65,000 older people keep active and healthy through our Fit as a Fiddle programme. In tough economic times we understand supporting people in later life to make informed choices and maximise their wealth, health, independence and wellbeing is important for the individuals and helps drive down inefficient and unnecessary costs in our public services. Continue reading →

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Posted in Autumn Statement, General, Income, Money Matters, Queen's Speech, Social care

Tagged #carecantwait, #careincrisis, #Dilnot, Age UK, Age UK blog, Ageing, ageing society, Andrew Dilnot, Autumn Statement, Care and Support Bill, Care and Support Draft Bill, care homes, Care in Crisis, Care in Crisis campaign, Commission on Improving Dignity in Care;, Dignity Commission, Dignity in Care Commission, Dilnot Commission, Fit as a Fiddle, hospitals, Information and Advice, Michelle Mitchell, Michelle Mitchell Age UK, Michelle Mitchell Charity Director General, NHS, older people, pensions, Pensions Bill, Queen's Speech, social care

No news is not always good news

Posted on December 5, 2012 by ageukpublicaffairs | 2 Comments

The Chancellor delivered his third Autumn Statement today. He tried to strike a tone of cautious optimism over recent economic data suggesting the end of the recession and rising employment. Underneath this, however, there were more cuts as Government struggles to eliminate the structural deficit as it has prioritised.

Yet again the biggest omission from the Chancellor’s statement was any plan to help resolve the crisis in social care. We welcome the continued protection for the NHS budget but unless funding for social care is urgently addressed then the knock on costs to the NHS will continue to grow. The announcement of a further two per cent cut to council budgets in two years’ time is likely to exacerbate this if it leads to further reductions to frontline care and support services that are often already stripped to the bone.

Allowing the social care system to limp along, leaving too many older people isolated and afraid of what tomorrow might bring, is not only morally questionable but makes no financial sense. Reform of care funding would be a worthy legacy for any Government, it remains a scandal that 18 months after Andrew Dilnot published his report, it remains unresolved. Continue reading →

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Posted in Autumn Statement, Economy, Health, Income, Money Matters, Social care

Tagged #AS2012, #autumnstatement, #carecantwait, #careincrisis, Age UK, Age UK blog, Ageing, ageing society, Autumn Statement, Care in Crisis, Care in Crisis campaign, Chancellor, economy, George Osborne, Health, HM Treasury, Income, Incomes, money, money matters, NHS, older people, pensioner poverty, pensions, poverty, saving, social care, social care reform, Spending Review, Treasury, triple-lock

Category Archives: Autumn Statement

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