Jewish Care disappointed budget NHS funding increase did not ease social care support gap

Leading communal charity Jewish Care has expressed “disappointment” that Chancellor Rachel Reeves’ latest budget did not include further investment in either the social care or mental health sectors.

Jewish Care CEO Daniel Carmel-Brown acknowledged that while additional NHS funding was welcome, “the social care sector continues to face rising demand without the support needed to meet it.”

He added:”While additional funding for the NHS is welcome, the social care sector continues to face rising demand without the support needed to meet it. This gap has real consequences for older people, those living with dementia, individuals at the end of life, and people experiencing mental health challenges.”

Wednesday’s heavily leaked budget saw  Reeves set out details of her second Budget since becoming chancellor.

A number of measures from the yearly tax and spending plan had already been announced in the days leading up to the statement.

Other measures were revealed by accident after the UK’s budgetary watchdog, the OBR, mistakenly published its official forecast early.

Reeves said she was asking “ordinary people to pay a little bit more”, after she raised taxes and ended the two-child welfare cap in the budget.

The move to end the two-child welfare limit will be welcomed by campaigners in the Strictly Orthodox community, who had long called for the government to drop the measure, which it argued unfairly impacted Charedi families, who traditionally have more children.

Reeves gave a post-budget press conference at a hospital, explaining yjsy the money being raised from higher taxes will help the government increase the NHS budget in the coming years.

She said spending plans had already been set ahead of the Budget – with the NHS igetting a rise of 3% a year over the next three years in England.

Tackling the hospital backlog is the number-one priority, said Reeves.

National Insurance (NI) and income tax thresholds were frozen for an extra three years beyond 2028, which will drag more people into higher bands over this time.

Properties in England worth more than £2m also now face a council tax surcharge of £2,500 to £7,500, following a revaluation of homes in bands F, G and H.

Jewish Care’s CEO said the charitable sector “is still absorbing the substantial impact of the increase in employers’ National Insurance introduced in the last Budget, which requires Jewish Care to find an additional £1.1 million every year.”

He added: “The Jewish community is fortunate to have organisations like Jewish Care and Jami providing essential social care and mental health services.

“These are made possible only through the generous support of our community, ensuring we can continue to be there for those who rely on us.”