AN INFLATABLE piggy bank came to York this week, with Age UK raising awareness of the “urgent need for more funding for social care”.

‘Penny’ was in Parliament Street as part of Age UK’s campaign to highlight of the impact of the cost of delayed discharges and the lack of social care at home to the NHS.

York Central MP Rachael Maskell attended to offer her support to Age UK’s campaign.

Penny is on the road across England in a bid to bring attention to the need for the Government to provide more funding, Age UK said.

Sally Hutchinson, chief officer for Age UK York, said: “We were delighted to welcome Penny the Pig to York. This was a very timely visit and it has highlighted the amazing work that Age UK York does and how hard it is to fund our services with the shortage of funding that we have been facing, particularly with regard to our health funded services. Indeed we are currently very concerned that after April next year our health funding will have disappeared! We have an incredible range of services to support people as they leave hospital.”

Ms Maskell said: “Ensuring that older people receive properly resourced, high quality care is essential, and yet the Government have yet to publish a Green Paper to determine how this will be achieved. Social care is seriously underfunded, putting pressure on older people and their families. Staff working in the sector also need to be supported and valued. The Penny Pig campaign is an important reminder of how urgent it is for social care to be placed at the top of the political agenda so that older people can have peace of mind in their final years, getting the support they need.”