Up to 1.5 million disabled people could be missing out on social care support
Up to 1.5 million working-age disabled people in England could need social care support but are not accessing it. This means they are likely to be missing out on help with daily activities such as washing, cleaning, socialising, and going to the shops.
About Healthwatch England's poll
Ten years since the Care Act 2014 came into force, Healthwatch England's new poll revealed that out of 1,504 working-age disabled adults in England, more than one in four, 28%, could be eligible for support under Care Act criteria but have never had a social care needs assessment.
Why people don't receive social care
The people who took part in our poll had unmet social care needs— they said they’re eligible for social care under the Care Act but had never received social care due to multiple factors:
- They didn’t think they could get any support (65%);
- They didn’t know where to go for support (34%);
- They were unable to afford to pay for care or contributions (26%);
- They found it too difficult to get support from councils or the NHS (14%);
- Their local service closed; (2%).
People who were excluded from the estimate include: those who are waiting for a social care assessment, have been told they are ineligible for social care support, are supported by unpaid carers, access state benefits, or simply do not want any support.
Also excluded were those who currently access care, which according to NHS figures is around 300,000 working-age disabled adults receiving publicly funded care and an unknown number of people funding their own care.
When people receive social care, they report positive experiences
Out of 20% of respondents who said they currently receive social care, over three quarters, 78%, agreed that the care they receive helps them live the life they want, compared to only nine per cent who disagreed with the statement.
Two-thirds (62%) of the respondents who receive social care said it helps them stay healthy, while over half, 51%, said it helps them do the activities they enjoy.
Just under half, 47%, said that their care enables them to keep themselves and their home clean, and the same number said it supports them to eat and drink properly. Just over one in five, 22%, of people said that their care supports them in working, studying, or volunteering.
Eligibility issue
Under the Care Act, people may be eligible for social care support if their needs arise from a physical impairment or illness that negatively affects their ability to perform tasks quickly, independently, and safely, while also affecting their wellbeing.
However, Healthwatch England's research shows the extent to which eligibility might apply to more disabled people will remain unknown until people can easily interact with social care services or access assessments.
Annanya’s story: I struggle with routine household tasks
Annanya, 21, is a part-time student and ambulance call centre worker from Liverpool. She has several health conditions, including mental health problems, dyslexia, ADHD, suspected autism and diabetes. Together, these conditions make it difficult for Annanya to maintain her home and to run chores, and she needs support with daily tasks.
Annanya reached out to her local social care provider for support. However, the council told her that her needs was a medical issue.
“They kept me on a waiting list for six months just to get an assessment, then they called me to say they can’t help me”, she explained. “The assessment was also done remotely – nobody visited me at home. I live alone and struggle with household tasks and planning. Having some extra support could really help me manage these challenging aspects of my life”.
Louise Ansari, Chief Executive at Healthwatch England, said:
“Social care can be transformative and change people’s lives. Our research highlights a really positive message, that for so many people care has helped them live independently, leading the lives they want to live, how they want to live them.
“Yet, social care in England is under financial strain, facing a workforce crisis, and requires major reform. Our findings clarify those challenges, showing that the hidden demand for support could be as high as 1.5 million working-age adults in England. Not all these people will be eligible for publicly funded care, but far too many clearly live with some form of unmet need and don’t know where to turn for support.
“We need to make sure there is more support for disabled people, and that this support is easy to understand and to access. Not only will this help people with their emotional and physical needs, but it will also help people who have told us they’d like more support to get into work, and it will contribute to taking pressure off NHS services.”
We need to make sure there is more support for disabled people, and that this support is easy to understand and to access.
Call for reform
Healthwatch are calling for a fully funded and long-term reform plan for social care that will address workforce issues, offer more support for unpaid carers, and a focus on early prevention.
As part of the reform plan, they have set out three recommendations:
- The Government should fund local authorities to raise public awareness of social care and find potentially eligible individuals through proactive outreach to disabled people.
- Government should also dedicate funding to boost capacity and support councils in addressing existing care assessments and care package backlogs.
- There needs to be greater investment to ensure all disabled people accessing social care assessments are offered a Care Act advocate who can help them understand the assessment process and their rights.
About the poll
Savanta interviewed 1,504 working-age adults, 18-64, living in England between February 22 and March 7, 2024. The data was weighted to be nationally representative of working-age disabled adults in the UK by age, gender, and region based on ONS Estimates of the economic activity of those aged 18-64 with a disability. Based on the most recent estimates, there are approximately 5.4 million working-age adults with a disability in England.
