Charity bosses in Bury are warning that a lack of investment in social care for older people could lead the system to collapse.

Bury Age UK has acknowledged the introduction of the Government’s new Care Bill, but says more needs to be done to ensure older people receive high standards of care.

The warning comes as a new Age UK/Ipsos Mori poll found that 56 per cent of people surveyed believed older people were being treated badly by the Government.

Of those 56 per cent, two- thirds believed poor standards of care was a primary reason for this.

Andy Hazeldine, chief officer at Age UK Bury, said: “I am pleased that the Government introduced the new Social Care Bill in this year’s Queen’s Speech and that was a massive step forward.

“However, enormous investment into social care is needed and without it, the social care system is likely to sink further towards collapse, failing our country’s older people.”

Nationally, Age UK has urged politicians to accept the Bill, which was announced in the May and aims to give people more choice and control over their care.

However it says measures to control the “catastrophic” cost of care and ensuring care needs are met on a local level should be included.

It is urging people to continue supporting the campaign, as the Bill must pass through Parliament before it is introduced, to maintain pressure on politicians.

Government figures reveal that spending on social care by local authorities nationally has fallen by £800 million — 10.2 per cent in real terms.

The number of people aged 65 and over receiving social care declined from 1,148,000 in 2009/10 to 991,000 in 2011/12, a fall of 157,000.

More than 800 signatures have been collected by Bury Age UK to support the national Care in Crisis campaign, which is calling on urgent, lasting reform to the care system.

For more information about the campaign: visit ageuk.org.uk