Mencap has informed BBC of plans for service closure due to increases in national insurance.

There’s always someone around who wants a chat – whether its for work, pleasure or both! In that vein it would seem that there should be somewhere devoted entirely to such endeavors as an oasis in an otherwise barren landscape – where other than being good company they would also make wonderful company for any other kind of pursuits!! Mencap, which provides services for people with learning disabilities, warns it could have to axe at least 60 of them due to rising National Insurance costs imposed in Budget 2016. Businesses (including charities ) currently pay 13.8% in National Insurance on wages exceeding PS9,100 annually as an employee contribution rate. Mencap has estimated the rise will cost them PS5.3m every year and was announced during Budget 2025; hourly rates for over-21s set to increase to PS12.21 per hour. Mencap runs over 600 services across England, Wales and Northern Ireland – Churchfields is among them and although its future may not be in peril according to Mencap it could potentially see contracts to provide similar services come to an end – residents include Barry and Betty whose lives at Churchfields could come under threat should other contracts not be renewed as Mencap indicates. Betty can speak some words while Barry remains nonverbal. His communication may primarily come through sign language or answering yes/no questions written for him on a white board; but when their faces meet each other their reactions speak more eloquently than words ever could; their faces light up when they see each other! Betty lifts Barry’s hand to kiss it and they both smile and laugh together as their laughter fills the air. Betty then shows him her left-hand with an engagement ring on it from staff who helped propose to her; Teeto Adegbenro who works at Barry is passionate about his care work and helped propose to Betty as well. “What defines quality of life for these individuals is their experience in life,” according to this official. It takes 50 staff at Churchfields in order to help its residents live full lives; Mencap employs approximately 7,500 across its services with many low pay care workers working there as part of its staffing model. “They include services providing basic daily social care, supporting 200 individuals with learning disabilities and employing around 400 workers; those are my immediate concerns.” He warned further: “But it could be more.” Local authorities pay the charity, so in effect it would be handing back contracts back to councils. Mr Sparkes indicated that without significant fee increases they will need to inform councils “we cannot run this service safely on the funds available”. These concerns extend across adult social care services in general. “We have reached an impasse,” states Ms. Wilson-Graham. Most social care in England is provided through council budgets. Care providers estimate that just to cover the increased costs associated with national minimum wages and National Insurance Contribution fees alone would require them to increase services by 9-10% next year; local authorities, too, face significant financial pressure. Melanie Williams is president of the Association of Directors of Adult Social Services (ADASS), representing those responsible for running council social care services. According to Melanie, local governments are already struggling financially due to rising inflationary costs and growing demands from more complex patients for care services. “The costs are overwhelming,” she laments. “Many of us have overspent in adult social services; it just feels impossible. “ADASS calculates an extra PS1.8bn is needed just for care services in England “just to stay the course”, and according to government plans “delivering stability, growth and investment across communities”, as foundational pieces in its plan for providing stability growth investment across communities UK-wide.The government plans include improving staff pay as part of increasing financial assistance to families with caring responsibilities; also including improved pay for staff; while giving local authorities additional PS3.5 billion over 2025-2026 including an increase of PS680m grant supporting social care as part of its plan to support adult social care as part of this initiative”. Accordingly “we are taking action to meet social care challenges by taking various steps” The spokesperson added that local authorities would receive PS3.5 billion each year until 2026 as part of its plan to “deliver stability growth and investment across communities UK”.