Disability Charity Warns of Service Threat Due to £1.4m Budget Cost Increase

A charitable organization dedicated to assisting adults with learning and physical disabilities has issued a caution that rising expenses, stemming from the recent Budget, might jeopardize certain services it provides in the future. The Wilf Ward Family Trust, an entity operating over 70 residential and supported living provisions across Yorkshire, stated that modifications to employers’ National Insurance contributions (NICs) and the National Living Wage (NLW) are projected to incur an additional annual cost of £1.4m. Paul McCay, the trust’s chief executive, affirmed its ongoing commitment to current beneficiaries, but indicated that securing new contracts could become unfeasible if the organization “can’t make the sums work.” The government declared that addressing the difficulties confronting adult social care is “vital” to its Plan for Change. The government announced in October 2024 its intention to raise employers’ NICs from 13.8% to 15% and decrease the payment threshold from £9,100 to £5,000. Furthermore, the forthcoming Budget, scheduled to take effect next April, will implement a 6.7% increase in the National Living Wage, bringing it to £12.21 per hour. Mr. McCay specified that these increases would result in the trust incurring “at least” an additional £600,000 for National Insurance and £800,000 for wages. He noted that the charity was already functioning with “tight margins” prior to these adjustments, with approximately 60% of its services operating at a deficit, a shortfall the trust had been covering from its reserves. Mr. McCay stated that although individuals currently receiving assistance “should not see a difference,” the implication is that accepting new referrals might become unfeasible if the cost of providing care escalates too much. “Where we’re going to encounter difficulty is if we have new packages of support,” Mr McCay said. “We will ask for one price, the local authority will only be able to offer a different price – and if we can’t make the sums work, we can’t offer that service.” “Then we will see services start to dwindle and start to be removed.” The Evason family has resided in supported accommodation, supplied by the charity in North Yorkshire, for almost two decades, following an initial period of receiving home-based support. Jonathan, Bethany, Rebekah, Matthew, and Benjamin all have Down’s syndrome; all except Jonathan were adopted by the family during their childhood. Jonathan, aged 60, described living together as a family as “really good,” enabling them to “really enjoy Christmases and birthdays.” His sister Rebekah, 41, who is also his goddaughter, expressed that the residence made her feel “really happy.” A team of support workers assists the family in leading full, active, and independent lives, concurrently delivering the specific level of aid required by each member. Carol Priestley has collaborated with the Evason family, whom she characterizes as “wonderful,” for approximately four years. “Every single one of us should be living a life like the Evasons’,” she said. “Everybody in social care should be allowed to thrive, to live independently and to have the best lives that they possibly can.” “For that the government needs to recognise the importance of social care.” A spokesperson for the Department of Health and Social Care stated: “Our Plan for Change is built on the strong foundations of a stable economy, and tackling the challenges facing adult social care is vital to change.” “That is why we are taking the first steps towards building a National Care Service by introducing legislation that will establish the first ever Fair Pay Agreement for care professionals and increasing the Carer’s Allowance earnings threshold by over £2,300 – the biggest rise since the 1970s.”