Gambling addiction clinics are sending out a stark warning: they cannot survive the funding gap without an immediate injection of emergency government cash. Charities stress that the bureaucratic delays in distributing the new mandatory levy are starving providers, threatening hundreds of recovering lives.
The intention behind the compulsory levy was to create a reliable and significant financial foundation for addiction services, moving away from the previous voluntary system. The policy’s execution, however, has failed at the distribution stage, leaving frontline charities in a financial chokehold despite the industry having paid the mandated fees.
The NHS’s new responsibility for commissioning is at the heart of the operational problem. Charities report a chaotic and slow process, citing shifting contractual requirements and a lack of timely decision-making, which prevents the financial stabilization of the sector. Small providers are particularly vulnerable to this cash flow crisis.
The crisis is creating intense anxiety among clients, who fear the sudden loss of their support system. Former addicts are emphasizing the extreme danger of discontinuing treatment for vulnerable individuals, warning that it is highly correlated with a surge in mental health crises and self-harm incidents.
Charities are urgently appealing for the government to step in and authorize temporary financial support to keep the services running while the new commissioning system is finalized. They argue that the human cost of waiting is unacceptable. The government has offered reassurances about its long-term goals but has not provided a firm guarantee of emergency funding.