When I met up with the director of the care provider for our son with autism and severe learning disabilities, in the aftermath of the new Labour government's long-anticipated and much-hyped first Budget, he was angry and dismayed.

"During the election we heard a lot of talk about social care being given parity of esteem with the NHS," he said. "But we have been kicked in the teeth".

His service, along with many more in both the private and voluntary sectors, has been burdened with a major hike in National Insurance contributions that amounts to an existential threat to many service providers.

While the NHS has received an extra £22billion, local authorities have been allocated a paltry £600 million.

Leading figures in the charity sector, including Jim Kane of Community Integrated Care, Rachel Dodgson of Dimensions (which provides services for people with autism and learning disabilities) and Sarah Elliot of the National Council for Voluntary Organisations, have spoken out about the damaging consequences of an extra bill of £1.4 billion in a sector that employs one million people and provides services worth £17 billion.

Mary Langan has been discussing the impact of the Budget on social careMary Langan has been discussing the impact of the Budget on social care (Image: Luke Patrick Dixon Photography) "Austerity isn’t over for everyone," writes disability activist Frances Ryan, drawing attention to the tightening of eligibility criteria for benefits such as Personal Independence Payments and the impact of coercive Work Capability Assessments. As she indicates, the combined impact of cuts and closures is likely to ‘degrade living standards’ for people with disabilities.

In response to the funding crisis, Haringey social care activist Gordon Peters has invited our MP Catherine West to a meeting of the End Social Care Disgrace Campaign in the House of Commons together with the (currently suspended) Labour MP John McDonnell, union leaders and others.

Gordon says this "offers a great opportunity to link up with grassroots campaigners to discuss how we can stop social care being kicked down the road yet again".

Gordon is pushing for the urgent establishment of a National Care, Support and Independent Living Service, while also trying to ensure that current injustices with regard to disabled and older people, carers and care/support workers are addressed.

  • Mary Langan is chair Haringey Severe and Complex Needs Families Reference Group (SCALD).