West Dorset MP Chris Loder is backing a move to raise taxes by 1.25% to pay for social care. But he says we need to make sure the money is spent effectively, via Dorset Council.

He says Dorset Council currently spends more than half its budget on social care – £178 million, in part due to the large elderly population in the county.

He said: “I know that Dorset Council has always been financially prudent, but nonetheless the high age demographic in West Dorset and Dorset as a whole means that the council’s social care spending is ever increasing, regardless of how well they handle their money. I am in favour of the health and social care levy to support councils like Dorset Council, but we must be absolutely certain that the funding is going to the right place.”

This year, Dorset Council had to raise council tax by 5% to meet this growing need for social care.

Chris said: “That means as it stands, residents in Dorset are effectively making two payments for health and social care. If we make sure the levy’s funding goes to local authorities appropriately, we can ensure people are not overburdened.”

“I am not instinctively a fan of raising taxes, but given the very difficult situation we are in – with a deficit of £350 billion after the pandemic – it is vital that we provide funding to sort out the NHS backlog, and support a better social care system but we need stronger and more fundamental reform going forward.”

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