On the Brink

The County Councils Network has warned that the 10% rise in the national living wage in April 2024 risks precipitating adult social care cuts without further government investment to enable authorities to fund the rise through provider fees.

The CCN survey finds pay rise for care staff will significantly impact on authorities' budgets, as the Local Government Association finds one in five authorities said it was very or fairly likely they would declare that they could not balance their budgets in the next two years.