Hundreds in Essex face social care debt collectors

14 June 2019, 06:20 | Updated: 14 June 2019, 06:24

More than 800 people in Essex are facing debt collectors over unpaid social care charges.

26 of those are facing legal action, according to a study by GMB - the union for care workers.

Rachel Harrison, GMB National Officer, said:

"Our care system isn't just in crisis - it's crumbling beneath our feet.

"More than 7,000 people in the East of England facing debt collectors over unpaid charges, 215 facing legal action - this is an increasingly desperate state of affairs.

"Meanwhile care companies are going to the wall, councils are starved of cash and our under-staffed, underpaid and overworked members do their best against the rising tide of need.

"The way we fund our care system needs a radical overhaul - at the same time we need support, progression and pay structures to inspire new carers and retain outstanding staff.

"Instead of taking action, this Tory Government keeps kicking the Green Paper on social care into the long grass when they should be coming forward with a coherent plan to properly fund our care sector."