ARC England members are calling for a minimum 12% fee uplift in 2024-25 to cover Living Wage costs.

The learning disability and autism services membership association, which has published its 2023-24 Fee Rate Maps, also called on government to stabilise the sector and for funding to be properly ring-fenced.

An ARC England spokesperson said: “The message is clear: a minimum uplift of 12% is the amount required by providers to meet the National Living Wage increase that will be implemented from 2 April 2024. We are clear, however, that this does not begin to address the cumulative funding shortfall that year upon year of below-inflation fee rate uplifts has created. 

“Our members are telling us that for 2024/25 councils are offering providers fee rate uplifts in single figures. We have even heard that some councils are suggesting to providers that they should use their reserves to continue to operate. Maintaining sensible operating reserves is necessary, not just to ensure compliance with the guidance published by the Charity Commission but because to not do so would be a dereliction of the duties of trustees and board members.”

The Free Rate Maps, which show the average weekly and/or hourly rates being paid to providers plus the percentage fee rate uplift for the last six years for residential care, supported living, day services and domiciliary care, reveal day services fared worst for rate uplifts compared to other learning disability service types.

The charity said: “If learning disability and autism services are among the lowest in the social care ‘hierarchy of visibility’ then day services are the least visible service type overall. This is despite that day services save local authorities huge amounts of money every year by, for example, enabling supported people to be looked after within their family home.”

The map show data by local authority or by MP constituency.