Reform council planning ‘huge’ cuts in adult social care

Kent County Council has estimated that 18,804 people could be impacted by the proposal

Reform UK Kent County Council group (Gareth Fuller/PA) (PA Archive)

The “flagship” Reform council is planning to “hugely cut” elements of adult social care which could affect thousands of people in the new year.

Reform UK took control of Kent County Council (KCC) after local elections in May, overturning a 30-year Tory majority.

The new administration has repeatedly expressed its desire to cut costs and find savings in KCC’s activities.

Jim Dickson, Labour MP for Dartford, said “navigation and wellbeing services” providers have been told by the Reform administration that their funding will be cut in three months.

They help old and vulnerable adults “on the edge of care” with contact and support, without a full care package.

The services include debt advice, counselling and community activities run by Involve Kent, Imago Community and SEK.

“Their commissioning budgets for those services have been hugely cut as a result of the change that’s being made,” said Mr Dickson.

A study by Involve Kent found that its work led to “significant reductions” in A&E attendance and need for acute care.

Mr Dickson has called the planned cuts “short-sighted” as they may lead to more money being spent on adult social care by cutting “preventative” services.

He told the Press Association: “It’s going to be extra cost for the NHS, but also significant extra cost to Kent County Council, as people who are no longer supported in the community via preventive services require expensive care packages, which the council themselves will be legally obliged to provide.”

Using data from 2024/25, KCC has estimated that 18,804 people could be impacted by the proposal.

A resident consultation on the proposal was held a year ago under the previous administration, with 80% of respondents disagreeing with the plan.

In November, the new administration voted to approve the cuts, and this month support providers were informed their funding will end in February.

KCC says redesigned services will focus on people assessed “as needing medium or higher levels of support”, which will bring savings of £3.45 million per year.

“Kent are obviously claiming that this is an efficiency and something that they can do without huge service effect, but that’s quite clearly wrong,” Mr Dickson said.

The MP added that people have expressed “huge dismay” that they will no longer have access to the services.

On Thursday, the Press Association saw a leaked opposition briefing document which showed a £60 million “unresolved gap” in KCC’s finances for 2026/27.

Councillors have indicated the gap may be closer to £100 million by the new year.

KCC’s opposition leader, Liberal Democrat councillor Antony Hook, warned at a council meeting in Maidstone on Thursday that “everything is in danger” of cuts.

A council spokesperson said discussions before the draft budget is published are “pure speculation” as the process involves “multiple iterations”.