The National Care Forum (NCF) – the leading association for not-for-profit social care has responded to the publication yesterday of the government’s Green Paper on reforming the benefits system. The publication comes after weeks of speculation and includes proposed changes to PIP, Work Capability Assessments and Universal Credit as part of a drive on getting more people into work and making £5bn worth of savings.

Liz Jones, Policy Director at the National Care Forum said: “While we welcome the

government’s ambition to support more people into work or to stay in work, the sheer scale of the envisioned £5bn of accompanying cuts is extremely concerning for everyone relying on PIP – a payment designed to help with the costs caused by a disability – and will lead to unintended consequences in terms of access to social care services.

“Many people use their PIP to help pay for adult social care support and social care charges from their local authorities. The Green Paper states that DHSC is planning to carry out research on the link between the adult social care system and PIP. This link must be fully understood before such far-reaching reforms are implemented. We must also recognise that there will always be people who need the support of a well-functioning social security system who cannot work for a variety of reasons.

“We worry that the ambition to reduce costs will undermine the drive to get more people into work as it doesn’t deal with the root problems. The government’s own analysis, as well as those by the Resolution Foundation and Joseph Rowntree Foundation, highlight growing levels of sickness together with poor mental and physical health – a cut to welfare doesn’t solve these underlying issues.

“If the government’s ambition is to support more people with learning and physical disabilities into work, it must recognise the power of adult social care to maintain people’s health and wellbeing, as well as support people into work, to return to work and to remain in work. Government should consider how it can make sustained and significant investment in adult social care as a key part of the nation’s infrastructure to get Britain working and unlock growth.

“As one of the largest employers across the country, adult social care will be key to the success of the measures in the Employment Rights Bill as well as the Green Paper in ensuring that working conditions enable people to thrive and stay healthy. Any investment should reflect this, as well as the additional cost pressures incurred by the unfunded increase in employer’s National Insurance Contributions from April.

“Cuts in social security support will not, in themselves, drive people into work but do risk driving people into poverty without providing the necessary help to support them into work and to enable employers to employ them.”