Andy Burnham on social care reform
Adult social care reform is back on the agenda. In words, at least. In his first speech as Prime Minister,
Andy Burnham pledged to “help people to live well’. Afterwards he is reported to have said to journalists that Westminster’s record on social care over the last 30 years was “not defensible”. Ina speech today he said that it was “shameful, a major dereliction of duty” by politicians of his generation not to fix social care.
Few would disagree. But what will he actually do?
As a first step - hopefully the first of many - he has pledged to speed up the Casey Commission’s final report. The independent Commission, chaired by Baroness Casey, was due to produce its final report by the end of 2028. Now that will come forward a year. Its remit is the design of a National Care Service, which, Burnham said today, must be “intrinsically linked to the NHS” and with “a principle of home care” not a hospital bed. This was trailed in Labour’s 2024 election manifesto which recognised that this sector “needs deep reform” in order to “manage and support an ageing population”.
This would be a start. And it would be consistent with Burnham’s approach over the years: integration of social care with the NHS; funding through some form of levy or inheritance tax reform; and ending the situation where people have to sell their own homes to pay for care.
Funding social care has been a bugbear for years. The nearest we got to a clear plan for funding was Prime Minister Johnson’s 2021 Health and Social Care Levy. This was a designated tax to pay for both the NHS and adult social care. It would have involved an increase of 1.25% in National Insurance contributions, providing a £36 billion ring-fenced investment. But before this had the chance to move forward, the Johnson Government fell and the new Prime Minister, Liz Truss, scrapped it as part of her ill-fated tax cutting measures. This Levy has not been restored or replaced since.
In his speech today, Prime Minister Burnham, perhaps wisely, said very little about funding. This will not be easy. Burnham is initiating cross-party talks, starting today. He recognises that there will have to be “give and take” in order to find common ground. But already Kemi Badenoch, leader of the Conservative opposition, has set out her party’s stall. She will be happy to work with Burnham, but will not agree to any funding from tax rises or increased borrowing. Will this be a major sticking point?
Meanwhile, Burnham wants an immediate “focus” on the social care workforce, by lifting the recent “fair pay agreement” into a bigger reform, both in terms of pay and in terms of training and support. Burnham said today that that they should be “the best paid people in society, not the worst”. Many poorly paid carers will be following this closely for further details.
There is much to ponder about adult social care. News and opinion will be posted on this website. Watch this space.