With the Budget just a day away now, the message is clear: the “figures” that count in this Budget are the older people, disabled people and unpaid carers who cannot wait any longer for action on social care.
Social care remains chronically underfunded, leaving hundreds of thousands without the help and support they need to live their lives safely and with dignity. Growing demand driven by demographic change – an ageing population, rising levels of disability, and increasing complexity of need – is colliding with shrinking local authority budgets, leaving services stretched beyond capacity.
Age Uk estimated that 2 million people aged 65 and over have unmet needs for care and support. Up to 1.5 million disabled adults in England eligible for support but aren’t receiving it. There are 5.8 million unpaid carers in the UK. 1.2 million unpaid carers live in poverty, and 400,000 live in deep poverty.
The CSA – a coalition of 60 leading charities – warns that without urgent investment, more disabled people, older people and unpaid carers will be left without the care and support they need. Families are pushed to breaking point as unpaid carers struggle to plug the gaps.
The Casey Commission on Social Care is examining the scale of the crisis, but with its final report not expected until 2028, campaigners say investment cannot be delayed. The Local Government Association (LGA) has estimated that, over the past decade, care costs have increased by £8.5bn but revenue only by £2.4bn, resulting in a £6.1bn funding gap – and growing. 9 in 10 social care directors have little or no confidence their budgets can meet legal duties. Action is urgently needed now, not in three years’ time.
Emily Holzhausen CBE, Director of Policy & Public Affairs at Carers UK and co-Chair of the Care and Support Alliance says: “Today’s red box carries the real figures the Chancellor must consider – the disabled people, older people and carers who desperately need her to act. Social care is not a luxury – it’s essential for millions of families across the country and yet, far too many people are going without, bearing the cost of successive governments inaction. Investment in social care is not only about compassion but also about strengthening the NHS, the economy, and community. The chancellor must deliver the funding needed right here, right now.”
Vic, an unpaid carer who attended the hand-in at Downing Street, said: “I’ve been a carer for more than twenty years, supporting both my wife and my son while working full-time. My day doesn’t end when my shift does — I care before work, after work, and through the night. Like so many families, we just keep going because there’s no real safety net. What we need is proper funding for social care so that people like my son can live safely and reach their potential, and carers like me can get the breaks and support we need to stay well. Caring shouldn’t mean losing your health, your income, or your hope. We need a system that truly shares the responsibility, not one that leaves families to shoulder it alone.”
The CSA is calling on the Government to:
- Commit to long-term, sustainable funding for social care.
- Ensure fair pay and conditions for care staff.
- Guarantee that everyone who needs care and support can access it, regardless of where they live.
As the Chancellor prepares her Budget, campaigners urge her to remember the people behind the numbers – and to make social care a national priority.
