Sam Monaghan, chief executive of MHA, has warned of a “gaping chasm” between government funding and the cost of providing care ahead of today’s Spring Budget.

With the chancellor expected to target tax cuts ahead of this year’s expected general election, Monaghan said hopes were not high for any additional money for the sector.

However, he did call on all political parties to present a “credible, sustainable plan” to voters ahead of the general election.

“The sector has reached a crisis point,” Monaghan said. “There are nearly half a million people waiting to be assessed and an estimated 152,000 staff vacancies in the sector. Local authorities are falling into bankruptcy, NHS waiting lists are growing and older people are too often not getting the choice and quality of care they deserve.

“We know that fixing these problems will require significant investment and that whoever forms the next government will need to increase funding in an affordable and manageable way. But this does not prevent the main political parties from demonstrating that they understand the sector’s needs and are willing to tackle its issues head on.”

Monaghan’s calls came after Mike Padgham, chair of the Independent Care Group, earlier this week urged the chancellor to ditch tax cuts and provide the funding the sector urgently requires.