Our Response to the Autumn Budget
The Autumn Budget has landed, and once again it fails to deliver for adult social care. While the NHS received headline commitments, social care has largely been left behind. This omission matters.
Earlier this year, Access Social Care’s annual State of the Nation report painted a desperate picture. Revealing a 45.6% increase in safeguarding concerns reported through our helplines compared to the previous year, it sent a stark warning that the social care system is under severe strain.
Councils, care providers, and families are trying to navigate a system under immense pressure: demand is rising, costs are increasing, and uncertainty over funding makes planning almost impossible.
Economists at the Health Foundation estimate an £8.4 billion annual shortfall in adult social care, a gap echoed by organisations such as Age UK and Healthwatch, who report that millions of people go without the care they need every year. The Health Foundation has further warned that adult social care will need an extra £3.4 billion a year by 2028/29 just to prevent further decline. Anything less risks leaving people without the support they rely on, reducing the quality of services, and increasing the strain on families and unpaid carers.
The Government needs to be clearer about how funding is allocated, so that we can work together to find practical ways to stretch budgets further without adding pressure to the frontline staff who care for people every day.
At Access Social Care, we are pressing for transparency through a Freedom of Information request, because councils and providers cannot plan effectively when funding decisions are opaque. Without clarity, the people who rely on care can be left uncertain and unsupported.
The launch of the Independent Commission on Adult Social Care (Casey Commission), chaired by Baroness Louise Casey, shows that the Government recognises these challenges. But with the Commission’s full report not expected until 2028, urgent action is being delayed. We need decisive steps now, and the transparency we are seeking through our FOI case is essential. Only by seeing clearly how funding decisions are made and equality duties are applied can the system operate effectively and provide the support people rely on.
With greater clarity and collaboration, the sector could work alongside the government to make every pound count, ensuring care reaches the people who need it most, delivered efficiently, fairly, and with dignity.
Most of us will need social care at some point in our lives. That’s why at Access Social Care we are committed to building a future where social care is fully funded and everyone can access the support they deserve.
Adult social care is the backbone of our communities. It deserves transparent funding, honest conversations, and a clear plan… not to be left behind while other priorities take centre stage.
