England’s long-awaited reforms to its ailing social care system risk being “doomed to failure” unless the government presents a convincing financial case for overhauling what MPs have called a “broken” and unsustainable model.
In a stark warning issued on Monday, the House of Commons Health and Social Care Committee urged ministers to back upcoming reforms with robust economic modelling, warning that without clear data, the government cannot fully understand the long-term savings or societal benefits of investing in a new care model.
The intervention follows the launch of an independent review into adult social care by Baroness Louise Casey, commissioned to examine the deep-rooted crisis engulfing the sector.
Billions Spent on a Broken System
The committee’s report highlights the severe lack of reliable data surrounding the current system, which it argues leaves ministers blind to the true cost of inaction.
It calls for urgent research to quantify how failures in social care – such as delays in discharging patients from hospital due to lack of support – are compounding financial pressures across the NHS.
“Without such analysis, we fear the reforms emerging from the Casey Commission will be fatally undermined, leaving vulnerable individuals and families trapped in a system that simply doesn’t work,” the cross-party MPs said.
They pointed to the £32 billion spent annually on what they described as a failing system, burdening local councils and failing to meet the needs of the public.
Reform Promises Have Fallen Short
Despite repeated pledges by successive governments, social care reform in England has been repeatedly delayed or abandoned in the face of political and financial obstacles.
Current Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer inherited plans from the previous Conservative administration to cap the cost of individual contributions towards care, but local councils warned of a £30 billion shortfall in funding to deliver the policy.
In July 2023, Chancellor Rachel Reeves scrapped the proposed care cap, saving an estimated £1 billion in the 2025–26 fiscal year.
‘No Longer Tenable to Delay,’ Says Committee Chair
Committee chair Layla Moran MP, of the Liberal Democrats, condemned the continued failure to act: “We are living with a broken social care system. Successive governments have shied away from meaningful reform — but that is no longer an option.
“The system fails to deliver adequate care to those in need, drives up costs for both the NHS and local authorities, and places intolerable pressure on unpaid carers.”
The report estimates that unpaid carers now provide care valued at £184 billion annually — “equivalent to a second NHS.”
Casey Recommendations Years Away
The first set of recommendations from Baroness Casey’s review is expected in mid-2026, but full implementation of reforms could take up to a decade, raising further concerns about the pace of progress.
Government Says Change Is Under Way
Responding to the report, Care Minister Stephen Kinnock defended the government’s record: “Far from inaction, we have hit the ground running on social care reform. We inherited a crisis, and we’re taking decisive steps to address it.”
He cited a £3.7 billion funding package to support local health authorities and investments in 15,000 additional home adaptations for disabled residents.
“A lot has already been done,” Kinnock said. “But we know deeper reform is needed, and we are committed to delivering it.”
