Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to tackle delays to care packages.
Local authorities are best placed to understand and plan for the needs of their population, which is why, under the Care Act 2014, local authorities are tasked with the duty to shape their care market and to commission services to meet the diverse needs of all local people. In performing that duty, a local authority must have regard to current and likely future demand for such services, and consider how providers might meet that demand.
The Government has announced that a revised policy framework for the Better Care Fund in 2025/26 will shortly be published. This will outline redefined goals that emphasise its commitment to shifting care from hospital to home, and from sickness to prevention.
The Government is supporting local authorities by making up to £3.7 billion of additional funding available for social care authorities in 2025/26, which includes an £880 million increase in the Social Care Grant.