Last Updated on April 25, 2016
The number of care home insolvencies has jumped by 18%, with 47 care home operators in England and Wales becoming insolvent last year, up from 40 in the previous year, according to accountancy firm, Moore Stephens.
The research from Moore Stephens also shows that the number of care home businesses becoming insolvent has risen by 34% over three years. There were 35 insolvencies in 2012/13.
Moore Stephens says that local authority spending on care homes continues to fall, with estimates from the Local Government Association suggesting that there will be a £2.9bn annual funding gap in social care by the end of the decade. The Government’s introduction of a mandatory national living wage from April 2016 is set to further increase pressure on the care homes sector as staff costs rise.
Moore Stephens explains that it is increasingly difficult to find finance for the sector after the financial restructuring of the Four Seasons group, Britain’s biggest care home operator.
Mike Finch, Partner at Moore Stephens, explained, ‘Care homes have come under increasing financial strain and, with a sharp increase in their wage bill, many more risk being pushed to breaking point.
‘With funding from local authorities contributing a substantial amount to the revenue of care homes there is understandable concern of the impact any further spending cuts would have on the sector. This is especially important as the cost of care in the UK remains high.
‘Although legislation giving local authorities powers to increase council tax by 2% to help fund social care is a step in the right direction, there is real concern that this will not meet the spike in demand caused by the UK’s ageing population.
‘The cost of dealing with regulations in the care sector has been rising with residential care homes spending roughly 16 man-days a year dealing with inspections and 25 man-days a year handling information requests, according to Cutting Red Tape by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills and the Cabinet Office.
‘Many care homes have also lost control over their increasing property costs by selling ownership of the property they occupy to an investor and then renting the property back from the same investor with pre-agreed rent increases they can no longer afford.’
Moore Stephens adds that with the UK’s ageing population predicted to rise by 12%, or 1.1m, between 2015 and 2020, local authority funding is set to be stretched further causing many care homes to come under increasing financial strain and face closure.
Mike Finch continued, ‘The inevitable upheaval caused by closing care homes would clearly be unwelcome to pensioners, especially if they are still residents in the facility.
‘If care home closures continue at the current rate, then questions regarding the duty of care to any residents still in situ will doubtless arise.’