London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Friday, Sep 04, 2026

Archbishop of Canterbury calls for leaders to fix social care

Archbishop of Canterbury calls for leaders to fix social care

The Archbishop of Canterbury has urged the government to take action to fix the country's "broken" social care system in his new year message.
The Most Reverend Justin Welby said care homes were struggling to deal with rising bills while trying to find the staff needed to keep going.

He said the country needed to "rise to the challenge" to repair the industry.

The government said in response that it was providing £7.5bn in support over the next two years.

The archbishop's televised message comes as he prepares to publish a report on the social care crisis in January, which will cover how he thinks the system can be fixed.

He has worked on the research - which has focused on ways to create a fairer social care system - for two years alongside the Archbishop of York, Stephen Cottrell.

In his message - which will be broadcast on BBC One at 12:55 GMT on Sunday - Mr Welby said: "We know our care system is broken, but it doesn't have to be. We can rise to the challenge of fixing it. That means action from all of us: you, me, families, communities, government.

"Caring goes to the heart of what it means to be human. It is hard, but it can also be the most life-giving thing we ever do. It comes back to that essential lesson: we need each other."

He added that looking after elderly relatives was a "privilege", and he would "rejoice" that his own 93-year-old mother was still alive.

And Mr Welby stressed the importance of ensuring the work of carers was properly valued by society.

Currently a care worker in England is paid on average £8,000 a year less than NHS staff with the same skills, charity research for care provider Community Integrated Solutions has suggested.

The archbishop said: "Why work as a carer when you might get paid more in less demanding jobs? Caring's certainly not easy. Good carers are wonderful people to be valued."

He said his report would offer a "hopeful vision of our society", where "no-one is held back, overlooked, or treated as a burden".

He said families and unpaid carers should get support too.

The report follows the government placing a two-year delay on reforms to the system that will see a lifetime cap on social care costs in England.

Jeremy Hunt paused the plans in November, and said the funding would instead be used to increase the adult social care and NHS budget.

If the lifetime cap goes ahead, people in England will not spend more than £86,000 on their personal care costs in their lifetime, with the government paying any additional costs.

In a statement, a Government spokesman said ministers had prioritised social care in last month's autumn statement making available up to £7.5bn in support over the next two years.

"This will allow more people to access high-quality care and help address some of the challenges in the sector - including waiting lists, low fee rates, and workforce pressures," the spokesman said.

"The government remains committed to delivering adult social care charging reform and supporting those who need it, which is why we are giving local authorities additional time to prepare and providing more funding to help with their immediate pressures."

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak released a video message on social media marking the new year, in which he said he was confident "better times lie ahead" and he wanted people to feel "hopeful" going into 2023.

"I may have only had the job for several weeks at this point, but actually I feel good about the future," he said.

"I feel positive about the change that we can bring so that we can improve everyone's lives, so that we can deliver the peace of mind that people are looking for in the here and now."

Mr Sunak's video address struck a more upbeat tone than his earlier message when he said the UK's problems will not go away in 2023.
Comments

Mark Antrobus 4 year ago
The Church needs to stay out of politics, just as Jesus refused to get drawn into speaking out against the Romans.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Breeding Tropical Mosquitoes Discovered in East London
Sadiq Khan Agrees to Search of Digital Communications in Palantir Lawsuit
Scottish Protesters Call for Moratorium on AI Data Centre Expansion
Uber Drivers Bring London Class Action Over Algorithmic Management
Reform UK Accepts £4 Million Donation From Cryptocurrency Billionaire Pardoned by Trump
Justice Secretary Tightens Early Release Scheme to Exclude Manslaughter Offenders
Kemi Badenoch Reshuffles Conservative Team as Reform UK Pressure Grows
British Mortgage Rates Rise as Global Bond Sell-Off Pushes Up Borrowing Costs
UK Records Hottest Summer on Record in 2026
UK Government Urges Households to Stock Essential Supplies Ahead of Severe El Niño Risk
UK Prepares Targeted Sanctions Over Israeli Settlements in West Bank
Reform UK Faces Electoral and Police Scrutiny Over Foreign Donation Allegations
UK and France Expand Channel Migration Cooperation as Trade Tensions Surface
UK Marks Merchant Navy Day With Tribute to Civilian Seafarers
Burnham Pays Tribute to Two Police Officers Killed on Duty in Northern England
Booking.com Left Fake Downing Street Listing Online for Two Months, Which Says
Burnham and Macron to Review UK-France Cooperation on Channel Crossings
UK Business Confidence Improves Slightly but Investment Concerns Persist
Burnham Faces Pressure Over Future North Sea Oil and Gas Licences
Burnham Pushes Wider English Devolution Through ‘Number Ten North’
British Chambers of Commerce Raises 2026 UK Growth Forecast to 1%
Keir Starmer Resigns as Holborn and St Pancras MP, Triggering By-Election
UK Chancellor Faces Tighter Budget Headroom as Long-Term Borrowing Costs Rise
UK Government Weighs Thames Water Nationalisation as Financial Crisis Deepens
Prime Minister Andy Burnham Faces First Commons Questions Over Tax and Spending Plans
Eleven British Seafarers Receive Merchant Navy Medal
Which? Creates Fake 10 Downing Street Rental Listing to Expose Booking.com Vetting Weaknesses
BP Appoints New Chairman in Effort to Stabilise Leadership
Aberdeen Sells Hydrogen Bus Fleet at Heavy Loss After Green Transport Experiment
UK Records Hottest Summer on Record as Climate Change Intensifies Extreme Heat
Scotland Pledges to End Temporary Accommodation for Children and Build 111,000 Affordable Homes
DNO Agrees $396 Million Deal to Acquire Capricorn Energy
Uber and Wayve Launch UK’s First Supervised Autonomous Ride-Hailing Service in London
Britain Expected to Avoid New US Tariffs Targeting European Union
Middle East Conflict Pushes UK Energy Costs Higher and Revives Inflation Concerns
UK Growth Forecast Cut to 1% Through 2027 as Youth Unemployment Is Projected to Rise
Andy Burnham Links Weak UK Growth to Brexit in First Full Commons Session as Prime Minister
Keir Starmer Resigns as MP, Triggering Holborn and St Pancras By-Election
UK Business Confidence Improves but Remains Deeply Negative
Aberdeen Hydrogen Bus Sale Recovers Just Six Pence for Every Pound Invested
Which? Exposes Booking.com Verification Failures With Fake 10 Downing Street Listing
British Business Bank Invests Up to £46 Million in Deep-Tech Startup Fund
Scottish Government Puts Violence Against Women at Center of Legislative Program
FCA Eases UK IPO Rules to Strengthen London’s Listing Market
UK Likely to Avoid Next US Tariff Measures as Washington Targets EU
Macron Visits UK for Bayeux Tapestry Exhibition and Border Security Talks
British Chambers of Commerce Cuts UK Growth Outlook to 1% for 2026 and 2027
Keir Starmer Resigns as MP for Holborn and St Pancras, Triggering By-Election
Prime Minister Andy Burnham Unveils Devolution and Cost-of-Living Agenda
UK Borrowing Costs Surge as 30-Year Gilt Yield Reaches 5.88%
×