FICCH research cited in UK parliament

Project's warnings regarding care home vulnerability discussed as part of budget debate in House of Lords

FICCH findings concerning the precarious finances of UK care homes have been mentioned in parliament on one of the biggest days in the political calendar - the annual deliberation over the government's budget.

Addressing the planned rise in employer national insurance contributions, Lord Razzall, a Liberal Democrat peer, cited FICCH research revealing just how close many care homes are to financial collapse.

"As we know, the major tax increase was the increase in national insurance contributions for employers; from these benches we think that was a mistake," Lord Razzall told the second chamber. "As a number of speakers said earlier, we think it was a mistake because of the damage done to charities. We think it was a mistake because of the damage done to care homes. As Warwick University said, many care homes will go bankrupt faced with the slightest mild economic shock."

The full Hansard transcript of the debate can be accessed here.