Care providers have hit out at the lack of attention paid to social care in yesterday’s Budget speech, branding it ‘a missed opportunity’ to fix the sector.
Chancellor, Rachel Reeves’ announcement fell foul of any dedicated investment in social care services, apart from the overall health and social care budget increase of 2.4% in real terms over the 2025-26 to 2028-29 Spending Review period.
Speaking to Complex Care Management, Jackie O’Sullivan, executive director of strategy and influence at Mencap; and Emily Holzhausen CBE, director of policy and public affairs at Carers UK, said in a joint statement: “The Budget announcement does nothing to address the escalating crisis in social care.
“Adult social care budgets in England are already heading for a £623m overspend this year, driven by rising demand from people with increasingly-complex needs – and demographic modelling shows this pressure will only increase as more of us live longer with multiple long-term conditions.
Families are being pushed to breaking point, and local authorities cannot continue stretching budgets that no longer meet even their legal duties
“Behind these figures lies a staggering level of unmet need.
“Disabled people, older people, and unpaid carers are being left without the basic support required to live safely and with dignity.
“Families are being pushed to breaking point, and local authorities cannot continue stretching budgets that no longer meet even their legal duties.
“We strongly support the work of the Casey Commission, which will play a vital role in setting out long-term solutions — but action on social care cannot wait until 2028.
“People need help now and the Government must commit to urgent investment or the crisis will deepen further and the human cost will continue to grow.”
Dr Jane Townson OBE, chief executive of the Homecare Association, added: “This Budget represents a missed opportunity for social care.
“The Chancellor spoke repeatedly about cutting NHS waiting lists, yet failed to recognise that, without adequate homecare, people will continue to be stuck in hospital beds when they could be recovering at home.”
And she said the promise of 250 Neighbourhood Health Centres and an increase in the National Living Wage to £12.71 per hour failed to offer the support needed.
We urge the Government to bring forward the social care reforms it has promised and commit to sustainable funding for the sector that keeps hundreds of thousands of people safe and well in their own homes every day
“Care workers deserve fair pay that reflects the skilled and demanding nature of their work,” she added.
“Local authority fee rates must rise to match, or providers simply cannot afford to pay the new minimum wage, let alone offer the competitive salaries needed to attract and retain staff.
“While the announcement of Neighbourhood Health Centres is promising in principle, community-based care cannot function without homecare workers.
“We urge the Government to bring forward the social care reforms it has promised and commit to sustainable funding for the sector that keeps hundreds of thousands of people safe and well in their own homes every day.”
Fitzroy, a charity supporting adults with learning disabilities, said the system ‘remains under intense strain’.
“Behind every budget line are real lives – the support workers who hold services together and the people whose independence depends on consistent, skilled, compassionate care,” she adds.
New community health centres will improve access to NHS services, but without matching investment in social care, people will still fall through the gaps
“Local authority commissioning must be sustainable if we want high-quality personalised support to thrive and providers and councils need a fair, realistic settlement that reflects the true cost of care.
“New community health centres will improve access to NHS services, but without matching investment in social care, people will still fall through the gaps.
“None of this is possible without a skilled and valued workforce and we will keep championing the pay, training, and recognition our staff deserve.”
And Kehan Zhou, chief executive of care software provider, Camascope, said: “It is disappointing to see little attention on adult social care from the Chancellor.
“As the ADASS report this week set out, providers are increasingly forced to do more with less.
“Technology can help. Digitising medication records alone can safeguard patients and free up time for clinicians to deliver more personal care, while reducing costly errors.
“But we need to go further. Social care needn’t be the problem child of the health system.
“With the right focus and incentives, it can be a major source of opportunity and a driver of economic growth.”