Mencap is calling on Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak to define their plans on tackling the social care crisis and commit to making this a priority.
It comes after a new survey by retirement specialist Just Group found that a third of Conservative voters doubt either can finally end the decades-long wait for social care reform.
The poll of 2019 Conservative voters found that nearly twice as many say they trust Liz Truss to fix the issue of social care compared to Rishi Sunak, but many doubt either will achieve it.
Mencap says that the statistics only reinforce what many in the social care sector feel – that social care isn’t treated with the priority it deserves, and while many politicians claim that social care is fixed, or that they will fix it, very little is actually done.
Matt Harrison, Public Affairs and Parliamentary Manager, added: “The longer we wait, the more social care users will pay the price. The vast majority of working age disabled adults, including people with a learning disability, will not benefit from the cap on care costs, yet they continue to bear the brunt of reduced access to care and support and an understaffed, undervalued social care workforce.”
Just Group say the findings indicate a deeply divided Conservative voter base despite the hard-won settlement on social care tabled by Boris Johnson’s government – including both Truss and Sunak – less than a year ago.
The reforms proposed under a year ago by Boris Johnson, and agreed by his government, finally broke decades of deadlock and delay around the issue of social care.
Stephen Lowe, group communications director, added: “They outlined a sensible, workable solution that would allow families to plan their later-life care, look after their loved ones and put in place the necessary financial arrangements. At last, there was light at the end of the tunnel.
“That over a third of the Party’s own voter-base do not believe either candidate can achieve the long-awaited and much-needed reform in the social care system is discouraging, but understandable given many may be feeling a strong sense of having seen it all before.
“People need to feel confident in the system to plan and the new Prime Minister must not break public trust further with a change of tack. We urge the leadership contest winner to commit to honouring the promises on social care they made while in government less than a year ago.”
