Social care Call for action as costs continue to spiral

A CITY Hall boss has urged MPs to overhaul social care as almost half the council's day-to-day budget is spent on around one per cent of Bristol's population.

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Bristol City Council is now planning a raft of changes to care for over 5,000 elderly and disabled people to keep costs under control.

Both costs and demand for support are rising, and outpacing the extra income from raising council tax by the maximum amount allowed. This means there is less money to spend on other day-to-day services, such as collecting bins or fixing potholes.

Hugh Evans, executive director of adults and communities, updated councillors on the adult social care committee about the crisis. He also gave evidence to a select committee in Westminster, which warned of the wider impact on services like libraries and youth clubs.

There are 5,585 adults in Bristol receiving care paid for by the council. Adult social care takes up 46 per cent of the council's day-to-day spending, not including areas like schools or transport upgrades. Across the country, an increasing chunk of council budgets are taken up by paying for care.