"Cllr Kirkham said: “Boris said on the steps of Downing Street ‘I will sort out social care in 100 days’ – now we have another increase on taxpayers. It is very frustrating, it makes me very, very angry.”

She said that the council was having to put the burden of funding social care services on residents who cannot afford it."

Call to reform adult care precept tax

Cornwall councillors have called on the Government to provide immediate extra funding for adult social care as well as long-term reform.

by Richard Whitehouse, Local Democracy Reporter

Cornwall councillors have called on the Government to provide immediate extra funding for adult social care as well as long-term reform.

The council’s health and adult social care overview and scrutiny committee made the call when they considered the council’s budget plans for the coming year.

Cornwall Council is set to add an extra 3% onto council tax bills which will be used to fund adult social care in Cornwall.

The extra precept has been allowed by the Government and will be on top of a proposed basic 1.99% increase in council tax.

Councillors heard at their meeting this morning that there would be an increase in £21million for adult social care in 2021/22.

However this includes £10m of savings which will have to be found so the overall growth would be £11m.

They heard that the 3% precept on council tax would generate £9.3m which would be used to fund adult social care services.

Helen Charlesworth-May, service director for adult social care, told councillors that any increase in spending in the department would not be providing new services but would be to sustain existing provision at current rates.

And councillors were warned that if the council voted not to impose the 3% precept on council tax bills then savings of £9.3m would have to be found elsewhere in the council’s budget, including possible cuts in adult social care.

Rob Rotchell, Cabinet member for adult social care, said that he had felt conflicted about the 3% precept on council tax for the department.

He said that as a councillor for his area he wanted to protect residents from rises in council tax but as Cabinet member he could see how valuable the funding would be.

Cllr Rotchell said that consecutive governments had failed to address the best way to fund social care and said that personally he did not think it should be “passed to taxpayers”.

Jayne Kirkham said that the issue was a “really horrible dilemma” for councillors.

She said that she had only been a councillor for three years but felt it was “Groundhog Day” with having to decide on whether a council tax rise should pay for social care.

Cllr Kirkham said: “Boris said on the steps of Downing Street ‘I will sort out social care in 100 days’ – now we have another increase on taxpayers. It is very frustrating, it makes me very, very angry.”

She said that the council was having to put the burden of funding social care services on residents who cannot afford it.

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Committee vice chair, Colin Martin, put forward a proposal to note the budget plans but also to call for the council to lobby the Government to provide more financial support for social care.

Colin Martin, Lib Dem Councillor for Lostwithiel

It read: “The committee deeply regrets that despite many years of promised funding reforms for adult social care the majority of the burden continues to fall on local authorities and their local council taxpayers with an annual additional precept on council tax every year since 2016.

“In Cornwall we have a super-ageing population and we can never achieve enough funding that way.

“This committee notes that the cost to Cornwall Council is now about £200m per year (equating to around £1,000 on the average council tax bill) and that demographic demand for services is increasing year on year.

“The committee calls on the Leader of the council to press the Government to address this issue with immediate additional funding in the March budget as well as a long-term reform within 12 months.”

The proposal was supported with 12 votes in favour and two abstentions.

In addition the committee also raised concerns about the Government providing no additional funding grant for Public Health services, despite playing a key role in the current pandemic.

The committee agreed unanimously with the following: “The committee notes with concern that the expected public health grant does not provide resources to deal with the health and wellbeing impacts of the pandemic and future public health challenges, including pandemics.”