Meeting the Aspirations of the British People

2007 Pre-Budget Report and Comprehensive Spending Review, October 2007

The full Report can be accessed here. The government identifies demographic and socio-economic change, with rapid increases in old age dependency ratio and rising consumer expectations of public services as one of the long-term challenges it must respond to.

Section 6 'Stronger Communities and a Better Quality of Life' provides an overview of the government's proposals to fund the delivery of more personalised adult social care that will give people greater choice and control, empowering people to live independent lives and announces plans to consult on the reform of adult care and support systems. Access Section 6 here.

As part of its plans to enhance services the Department of Health will

• increase direct funding for social care by £190 million, taking it to £1.5 billion by 2010-11, including funding to enable greater personalisation of services, and more support for carers
• provide a personalisation, choice and control package for social care, including individual budgets (subject to a full evaluation), advocacy and information services, and investment in the social care workforce
• continue the focus of prevention, which includes a national rollout of the Partnership for Older People's Projects
• produce a Green Paper on reform to the care system, with a focus on older people and based on three requirements: it must promote independence, well-being and control for those in need; be consistent with the principles of progressive universalism; and it must be affordable. The government will develop a reform strategy consulting with public, private and third sector organisations initially and next year (2008) setting out a process involving extensive public engagement, leading to a Green Paper identifying key issues and options for reform.

Access Section D2 Department of Health here.

The Department for Work and Pensions' budget is set to fall by over 5 per cent per year on average in real terms over the CSR07 period. Some of the Departmental Srategic Objectives are to:

• promote independence and well-being in later life, continue to tackle pensioner poverty and implement pension reform
• promote equality of opportunity for all
• pay its customers the right benefit at the right time
• maximise employment opportunity for all

The DWP will also lead delivery of the cross-generational Public Service Agreements (PSAs) to maximise employment opportunity for all and to tackle povery and promote greater independence and well-being in later life. Access Section D15 Department for Work and Pensions here.