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 ensure that disabled people have access to the care and support they need.

The future funding for social care will be considered alongside other local government services at the Spending Review.

The Government is undertaking a review of the relative needs and resources of local authorities in England, with a view to setting fresh baseline funding levels. The recent consultation on this proposed a specific formula for adult social care that includes cost drivers for both older people and working age adults.

All councils have statutory duties to look after the vulnerable, elderly and disabled people in their area. By passing the Care Act 2014, this Government established a national threshold that defines the care needs that local authorities must meet. This eliminates the postcode lottery of eligibility across England.

We need a sustainable social care system to ensure services continue to deliver for our ageing population and the increasing number of people of working age who require care services, which is why the Government has committed to publishing a Green Paper at the earliest opportunity which will set out our proposals for reform.