Wes Streeting denies the government is slow to tackle the UK’s social care crisis

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The UK government has rejected criticism that it is delaying tackling the social care crisis after it said a review of one of the country’s biggest political problems will not be completed until 2028.

The first phase of the review, which will be led by Baroness Louise Casey, Whitehall’s chief crisis officer, is due to report in mid-2026. It will identify the key challenges facing social care for older people and make recommendations for of medium-term improvements.

But the second phase, which will provide long-term recommendations to deal with Britain’s aging population, will not report until 2028 – a year before the general election is expected to be held.

When asked on Friday if he was kicking the problem out of the blue, Wes Streetingthe health secretary, told the BBC: “I think that would be a fair criticism if we didn’t act on social care, if we hadn’t already a lot in the first six months.”

He added that “the first part of the Casey Commission is not reporting in 2028 – it is reporting next year”.

But Sarah Woolnough, chief executive at The King’s Fund, a health and social welfare think tank, urged ministers to speed up the commission, saying it was “too long to wait” for people in care and families. he saw.

Natasha Curry, deputy director of policy at the Nuffield Trust’s research group, said there must be greater urgency from staff because of the “rising costs” facing the care sector – including payments national insurance premiums.

“The desire to implement comprehensive changes in the medium and long term, as part of a phased plan, is understandable but urgent support for social care must also come,” he added.

Baroness Casey’s appointment is an attempt to end political tension after decades of wrangling over social care, which has weighed heavily on the stretched NHS.

Despite millions of people being affected, this issue was not mentioned in last year’s general election.

A study commissioned by the government published by King Ara Darzi last year explained the crisis facing the provision of social care as “problems“. Mothaka said the lack of funding had “serious human costs and economic consequences” for the elderly and their families.

Mr Tony Blair set up a royal commission on aged care at the start of the last Labor government in 1997, but ultimately rejected its recommendations for free personal care on the grounds of cost.

Since then, various government initiatives have been proposed to support the social care system with funds, only to face social problems.

Successive governments have delayed giving a piece on the lifetime costs that everyone must contribute to their care in England.

The fund – set at £86,000 by the last Tory government – was due to come into force this October, but after Chancellor Rachel Reeves discovered what ministers described as a £22bn “black hole” in public funds, projects were postponed indefinitely. .

Caroline Abrahams, charity director at Age UK, said Casey’s review could finally break the “logjam” in funding social care.

“We say ‘probably’ because while we have no doubt that Baroness Casey will do an outstanding job, the real question is whether the government will act on her decision,” he said.

Woolnough at The King’s Fund says the first part of Casey’s review should focus on the greater use of data and technology in the sector, better integration with NHS and make caring for older people in the community a more interesting job.

Streeting also announced an £86mn increase in Disability Housing Grants for this financial year, taking the annual total to £711mn, to allow more disabled and older people to improve their homes. see.