London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Monday, Jul 07, 2025

Boris Johnson’s plan to ‘fix the crisis in social care’ is no game changer

Boris Johnson’s plan to ‘fix the crisis in social care’ is no game changer

Documents published by the government show the reality of the deal the prime minister is offering

If Boris Johnson thought his 12-minute statement to parliament on Tuesday made good on his two-year-old promise to “fix the crisis in social care once and for all”, few in the care sector agreed.

Yes, the prime minister was radical, in contrast with the inaction of successive governments, when he more than quadrupled the means test threshold for social care recipients to £100,000.

And plans for £36bn to be raised in three years from new taxes, shared between the NHS and social care, provided hope. Plus here was a substantive statement on reforming social care, something that veterans in the sector have awaited for decades.

But in supporting documents published by the government was the reality of the deal Johnson was so far offering: £1.8bn a year extra for social care instead of the more than £6bn extra that the Health Foundation thinktank calculates will be needed by the end of this decade just to keep up with demand. Improving services in the often threadbare social care sector could cost an extra £14bn a year.

The deal “falls well short”, said Vic Rayner, chief executive of the National Care Forum, although she had the feeling there is “everything to play for”. She said the newest offer did nothing to fix a real-time crisis with staff leaving the sector at levels previously unseen.

Silver Voices, which represents older people, labelled it “an unambitious and meagre response”. The Royal College of Nursing said ministers “continue to bury their heads in the sand” about the staffing crisis. The union was among many pointing out the absurdity that already underpaid care staff will be among those losing money because of the levy, which is partly intended to improve staffing.


It is understood that of the £5.4bn for social care over three years, £2.5bn could be used to fund the new higher means test threshold and £86,000 ceiling on lifetime costs.

That leaves about £1bn a year to improve services including investing in the workforce and training, and starting closer integration of the system with the NHS – something that has been widely welcomed. This amount of money isn’t a game changer. Health analysts say similar amounts of extra funding have been awarded to social care fairly routinely in recent years.

The NHS, which has a longer track record at the negotiating table, did better though it still needs more to clear its elective surgery backlog, the Health Foundation said. In England, the NHS is expected to benefit from about £25bn from the levy over the next three years.

And yet there is hope for those who want a better future for elderly people and working-age disabled people for whom social care is essential to leading fulfilled lives. The forthcoming spending review will provide a new settlement for councils, key funders of social care, that could offset Tuesday’s disappointment. And the acknowledgment – and earmarking of some funds – to tackle pay, training and service quality is better than the years of silence on social care reform that has frustrated many.

“At last, there’s some hope for a better future,” said Caroline Abrahams, director of Age UK. The Association of Directors of Adult Social Services said that after 25 years of waiting, the announcement was “a significant step forward”. They feel the door is at last ajar for negotiation, which is something that may not have happened had the pandemic not hit care homes so hard.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
U.S. Enacts Sweeping Tax and Spending Legislation Amid Trade Policy Shifts
Football Mourns as Diogo Jota and Brother André Silva Laid to Rest in Portugal
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
London Stock Exchange Faces Historic Low in Initial Public Offerings
A new online platform has emerged in the United Kingdom, specifically targeting Muslim men seeking virgin brides
Trump Celebrates Independence Day with B-2 Flyover and Signs Controversial Legislation
Boris Johnson Urges Conservatives to Ignore Farage
SNP Ordered to Update Single-Sex Space Guidance Within Days
Starmer Set to Reject Calls for Wealth Taxes
Stolen Century-Old Rolls-Royce Recovered After Hotel Theft
Macron Presses Starmer to Recognise Palestinian State
Labour Delayed Palestine Action Ban Over Riot Concerns
Swinney’s Tax Comments ‘Offensive to Scots’, Say Tories
High Street Retailers to Enforce Bans on Serial Shoplifters
Music Banned by Henry VIII to Be Performed After 500 Years
Steve Coogan Says Working Class Is Being ‘Ethnically Cleansed’
Home Office Admits Uncertainty Over Visa Overstayer Numbers
JD Vance Questions Mandelson Over Reform Party’s Rising Popularity
Macron to Receive Windsor Carriage Ride in Royal Gesture
Labour Accused of ‘Hammering’ Scots During First Year in Power
BBC Head of Music Stood Down Amid Bob Vylan Controversy
Corbyn Eyes Hard-Left Challenge to Starmer’s Leadership
London Tube Trains Suspended After Major Fire Erupts Nearby
Richard Kemp: I Felt Safer in Israel Under Attack Than in the UK
Cyclist Says Police Cited Human Rights Act for Riding No-Handed
China’s Central Bank Consults European Peers on Low-Rate Strategies
AI Raises Alarms Over Long-Term Job Security
Saudi Arabia Maintains Ties with Iran Despite Israel Conflict
Musk Battles to Protect Tesla Amid Trump Policy Threats
Air France-KLM Acquires Majority Stake in Scandinavian Airlines
UK Educators Sound Alarm on Declining Child Literacy
Shein Fined €40 Million in France Over Misleading Discounts
Brazil’s Lula Visits Kirchner During Argentina House Arrest
Trump Scores Legislative Win as House Passes Tax Reform Bill
Keir Starmer Faces Criticism After Rocky First Year in Power
DJI Launches Heavy-Duty Coaxial Quadcopter with 80 kg Lift Capacity
U.S. Senate Approves Major Legislation Dubbed the 'Big Beautiful Bill'
Largest Healthcare Fraud Takedown in U.S. History Announced by DOJ
Poland Implements Border Checks Amid Growing Migration Tensions
Political Dispute Escalates Between Trump and Musk
Emirates Airline Expands Market Share with New $20 Million Campaign
Amazon Reaches Milestone with Deployment of One Millionth Robot
US Senate Votes to Remove AI Regulation Moratorium from Domestic Policy Bill
Yulia Putintseva Calls for Spectator Ejection at Wimbledon Over Safety Concerns
Jury Deliberations in Diddy Trial Yield Partial Verdict in Serious Criminal Charges
House Oversight Committee Subpoenas Former Jill Biden Aide Amid Investigation into Alleged Concealment of President Biden's Cognitive Health
King Charles Plans Significant Role for Prince Harry in Coronation
Two Chinese Nationals Arrested for Espionage Activities Against U.S. Navy
Amazon Reaches Major Automation Milestone with Over One Million Robots
Extreme Heat Wave Sweeps Across Europe, Hitting Record Temperatures
×