WIREDGOV

More than three quarters of MPs (78 per cent) say that additional funding should go to councils' social care budgets, according to new polling by the Local Government Association.

The LGA, which represents more than 370 councils in England and Wales, is calling on the Government to use tomorrow's Budget to inject new money into the services that provide care for elderly and disabled people.

It says the funding gap facing social care is at least £2.6 billion by 2020.

A total of 78 per cent of the 152 MPs polled by ComRes on behalf of the LGA agreed that additional funding should go to councils' social care budgets to tackle the funding crisis

In addition, 84 per cent of 100 peers surveyed also backed the LGA's call for more money to go to social care.

Cllr Izzi Seccombe, Chairman of the LGA's Community Wellbeing Board, said:

"Councils, charities, care providers, the NHS, and now as our polling shows, MPs and peers of all political colours, are fully united behind our call for urgent new funding to be injected into social care.

"We have long warned that social care stands on the brink of collapse, unless new money is announced by government.

"The measures taken by government, such as the ability for councils to raise council tax to pay for social care, will not bring in enough funding to solve the social care funding crisis.

"We need a long-term, sustainable solution, not quick short-term fixes.

"Genuinely new government money is now the only way to protect the services caring for elderly and disabled people, and ensure they can enjoy dignified and healthy lives."

Notes to editors

39 per cent of MPs strongly agreed, 40 per cent tended to agree, 5 per cent tended to disagree, 5 per cent strong disagreed, and 11 per cent didn't know when asked whether they agreed with the following statement:

Additional funding should go to councils' social care budgets to tackle the funding crisis

ComRes surveyed 152 MPs online and by paper self-completion questionnaire between 10th November and 19th December 2016. The total comprised 64 Conservative MPs, 65 Labour MPs, 11 SNP MPs and 12 MPs from other parties. Data were weighted to reflect the exact composition of  the House of Commons in terms of party representation and regional constituency distribution.

73 per cent of Tory MPs and 98 per cent of Labour MPs agreed with the statement above.

ComRes also surveyed 100 Peers online and by paper self-completion questionnaire between  14th November and 15th December 2016. Data were weighted to reflect the exact composition of the House of  Lords in terms of party representation.

ComRes is a member of the British Polling Council and abides by its rules. Data tables can be found on the ComRes website.