DARLINGTON’S MP has accused the Government of overseeing a “devastating social care crisis” that is leaving her constituents without the care they need.

Earlier this week, the Shadow Minister for Social Care and Mental Health, Labour’s Barbara Keeley, claimed that there were 1.2m UK pensioners living with unmet care needs.

By the end of the financial year, Ms Keeley said, £6.3bn will have been slashed from social care budgets since 2010, with more cuts to come.

Due to “unprecedented” Government cuts to local authority funding, the budget for social care in Darlington has been slashed by 37.4 per cent since 2011.

The town’s MP, Jenny Chapman, said it was a “shame on society” that so many people were living without the help they need.

The politician said some of her constituents were among those who were not getting the care and support they needed.

Ms Chapman said: “Social care is in crisis in our country, decisions made in Downing Street have brought us to this point.

“Theresa May must stop turning a blind eye to the problems in social care and address the funding crisis urgently.”

She added: “Darlington’s council has seen its budget for social care cut by 37.4 per cent between 2011 and 2017 - these statistics highlight the Government’s shockingly inept commitment to safeguard vulnerable people in our community.

“There are people in Darlington not getting the care and support they need - the competing pressures of an ageing population and chronic underfunding cannot go on.

“Theresa May must act now to make sure that councils like ours in Darlington have the money to provide quality social care for all of those who need it.”

Councillor Sue Richmond, Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care at Darlington Borough Council, said the authority was working hard to adapt to economic pressures.

She added.”: “There is no doubt that the Government’s unprecedented cuts have had, and will continue to have, a significant effect on the provision of adult social care in Darlington.

“Although staff in adult social care have been proactive in order to adapt to service pressures and have worked hard to ensure impact on residents is minimal, we will need to work differently with residents and our partners in health and the voluntary sector in order to sustain and improve services.”