Carers: Back Pay Liability

Baroness Watkins of Tavistock Excerpts

Wednesday 16th May 2018 Lords Chamber

[Lord O'Shaughnessy]

On the extra £2 billion of funding, I have not tried to link it with this; it is of course at the discretion of local authorities to use that to support the social care sector in the way they see fit. It is worth pointing out that Allied Healthcare is in this social care compliance scheme. My honourable friend the Minister for Care has written to it to express her disappointment at the approach it has outlined. Its liabilities have not crystallised yet, so it is not right for it to refuse that and she has written to it to demand clarification. However, clearly we understand that the clock is ticking and that there is an urgency to this.

[Baroness Watkins of Tavistock (CB)]

My Lords, can the Minister explain what the legal liability is of commissioners who commissioned care services based on the previous costs?

[Lord O'Shaughnessy]

That is an excellent question and I will write to the noble Baroness with an answer to it.