North Yorkshire social care providers have joined a national campaign to ask the government to rethink Budget measures' impact on the sector.
The Independent Care Group (ICG), representing social care providers across North Yorkshire and York, has signed up to the Providers Unite campaign.
The grassroots campaign, launched on November 12, centres on a "plea" to the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rachel Reeves, to consider the impact on social care of increasing employer’s National Insurance and raising the living and minimum wages.
The campaign has warned of a "systematic collapse of community care services across Britain" if the measures go ahead, according to a spokesperson.
ICG chair Mike Padgham said: "The government has to act – either by reversing the National Insurance increase for our sector or by ring-fencing additional funding to help providers meet the increase and the wages rise next spring.
"Otherwise, the result doesn’t bear thinking about for social care in this country."
The Providers Unite letter to Ms Reeves asks her to recognise social care as an "indispensable pillar in Britain’s healthcare infrastructure."
It warns of the impact of the proposed tax increases on people who rely on social care providers, and states that social care providers, like GPs, pharmacies, and hospices, are independent businesses providing public care.
The letter says providers could face a cost increase of up to 12 per cent due to the National Insurance and wage increases.
It adds that the sector is facing an £8.4 billion funding shortfall.
A petition has been arranged to prompt the budget changes to be debated in parliament.
If the petition reaches 10,000 signatures, it will elicit a response from the government; if it reaches 100,000 signatures, it "could trigger a debate," said a spokesperson.
The petition is available to view at https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/700080#:~:text=Petition%20Exempt%20all%20social%20care,by%20funding%20and%20staffing%20issues
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