A leading Bolton councillor has said that adult social care in Bolton is 'nearly at breaking point'. 

The services, which are run by Bolton Council, are said to be facing a £3m deficit in the 2024-25 financial year, which 'will lead to cuts in essential services' if not supported. 

The council says that it received an additional £8.1m of Government funding this year to support adult social care, but that it 'falls well short' of what the council paid to prevent care providers going out of business during high inflation and the cost of living crisis. 

Officials say that 'sustained funding commitments' are needed to plan ahead for an ageing population, with additional investment to modernise services. 

Cllr Linda Thomas, Bolton Council’s Executive Member for Adult Social Care said: “Adult Social Care is nearly at breaking point, and it’s getting more and more difficult to deliver with growing demand, cuts to funding and continued failure by Government to deliver on their social care reform promises made in 2019.

“While the Government’s funding for Adult Social Care in the past year has helped keep many residential care homes open, we need more from them than support to just paper over the cracks.

“The Government suggests we raise the Council Tax by 2 per cent, ringfenced to support ASC as we have been instructed by them for the last seven years." 

She added: “Even with this Bolton Council faces a £3m deficit in Adult Social Care next year 2024-25 which if not supported will lead to cuts to essential services.

“We are also committed to championing the Real Living Wage for everyone in Bolton and again we cannot implement this without the Government’s support.

“We are calling on the Government to provide us with long term financial commitments to enable us to maintain fair fees for care providers.” 

This comes after it was announced that Bolton would receive over £600k in extra funding for adult social care from the Government. 

The Department for Health and Social Care said that it chose authorities like Bolton that are under substantial pressure for extra funding.