Campaigners Warn Social Care Reforms Will Take Too Long

A care home resident holding hands with her daughter on Oct. 29, 2021. Andrew Matthews/PA

Long-term funding and reform of the social care system in England will be delivered by 2028, the government has announced, amid concerns from campaigners who argue the timeline is too long.

Health Secretary Wes Streeting announced on Friday the launch of an independent commission on building a National Care Service (NCS).

Led by Baroness Louise Casey, the commission will begin its work in April and publish an interim report next year. The final proposals are not due until 2028, a year before the next general election.

The review is part of the government’s plan to improve social care across the country, announced in the Labour manifesto. Under Labour’s plans, the NCS aims to take a “home first” approach that supports people to live independently for as long as possible and deliver high quality care.

It is also meant to invest in the care workforce by hiring more professionals, improving working conditions, and ensuring fair wages.

“In the first six months of this government, work has already begun on stabilising the care sector, investing in prevention, and in carers and care workers,” said Streeting.

The government plans will modernise the social care sector in the long-term, addressing increasing costs and demand, he added.

Casey said that the independent commission presents “an opportunity to start a national conversation” and find solutions to fix the social care system.

Social Care Funding

The government review will proceed in two phases, with findings on medium-term issues expected by mid-2026 and the final report on social care reform and funding by 2028.

Streeting said the review will include findings on care costs, published in Sir Andrew Dilnot’s 2011 report. It proposed a more generous means-test, and also a cap on lifetime social care charges, initially recommended at £35,000 and later revised to £86,000 under the Conservative government.

However, Labour scrapped the cap to address a reported £22 billion public spending shortfall.

In other funding announcements, Chancellor Rachel Reeves allocated £600 million for social care in 2025–26.

The government pledged £86 million to fund the Disabled Facilities Grant, aiming to support 7,800 additional home adaptations for people with social care needs. This initiative seeks to reduce hospital admissions and help individuals maintain their independence for longer.

“Alongside this action plan, we have legislated for fair pay agreements to help fill the 131,000 vacancies in social care. We’ve also provided a £2,300 rise in carer’s allowance for family carers, and have allocated extra funding to social care in the budget. We’ve done a lot in six months but there’s a hell of a lot more to do, and the best is yet to come,” said Streeting.

Tangible Changes

The Association of Directors of Adult Social Services (ADASS) has welcomed the announcement of a new independent commission on adult social care.

However, it warned that timescales for the proposals “are too long and mean there won’t be tangible changes until 2028.”

ADASS President Melanie Williams highlighted a significant funding gap of £1.4 billion for 2025–26, which she said is essential to maintain current levels of service.

Rising costs owing to increases in employer national insurance contributions, the national living wage, and inflation are putting immense strain on the sector, ADASS warned.

“Many of the organisations our members work with to provide care for elderly and disabled communities are unable to renew contracts, and staff are increasingly worried about their futures,” said Williams.

The association called on the government to use the forthcoming Spending Review to stabilise the sector and invest in the workforce.

Hugh Alderwick, director of policy at The Health Foundation, has cautioned that delays in social care reform could undermine progress.

“The past three decades have seen a long line of reports and reviews making recommendations for social care reform, including from government commissions like the one announced today. The result has been delays and broken promises.

“This new commission must move quickly and build on previous policy proposals,” he said.

The comments come as more than 80 percent of councils in England are expected to overspend their adult social care budgets this year.

ADASS has warned that Labour’s social care reforms are unlikely to succeed unless adequate funding is provided to alleviate the current financial pressures on local authorities.

PA Media contributed to this report.