Autumn Budget 2025: Delivering Our Red Box of Stories

On 24 November, a small delegation of Care and Support Alliance (CSA) campaigners made their way to No.11 Downing Street to hand-deliver our symbolic red box, filled with the stories of the real figures that matter – the older people, disabled people and unpaid carers across the country whose lives are shaped by the care and support they can access.

Campaigners Rasila and Vic stand outside 10 Downing Street

Our delegation delivered the red box to Chancellor Rachel Reeves at No. 11 Downing Street, reminding her that with the Budget only days away, the most important “figures” she must consider aren’t numbers in spreadsheets, but the millions of people struggling without the care and support they urgently need.

Vic, an unpaid carer who attended the hand-in at Downing Street, said:

“I’ve been a carer for more than twenty years, supporting both my wife and my son while working full-time. My day doesn’t end when my shift does — I care before work, after work, and through the night. Like so many families, we just keep going because there’s no real safety net. What we need is proper funding for social care so that people like my son can live safely and reach their potential, and carers like me can get the breaks and support we need to stay well. Caring shouldn’t mean losing your health, your income, or your hope. We need a system that truly shares the responsibility, not one that leaves families to shoulder it alone.”

Emily, co-chair of the Care and Support Alliance said:

“Today’s red box carries the real figures the Chancellor must consider – the disabled people, older people and carers who desperately need her to act. Social care is not a luxury – it’s essential for millions of families across the country and yet, far too many people are going without, bearing the cost of successive governments’ inaction. Investment in social care is not only about compassion but also about strengthening the NHS, the economy, and community. The chancellor must deliver the funding needed right here, right now.”

Read our letter to Rachel Reeves

Our brilliant co-chair Jackie powered through London’s chaos and arrived just in time!

Unfortunately, not all of our delegation made it. One of our long-standing activists, a powered wheelchair user, was unable to attend because his chair’s motor broke more than a month ago – and still hasn’t been repaired. The impact on his independence, mobility, and ability to participate underscores exactly why today’s message is so vital. His absence was powerfully felt, and a stark reminder of the challenges and delays too many disabled people face.

After the hand-in at No.11, the delegation joined a larger group of CSA campaigners and supporters, and together we made our way to the Treasury. With banners, determination and a shared purpose, we carried the voices of millions who need a social care system that really works.

Image of a receipt showing the ‘Cost of Inaction on Social Care’. Items on the list are: ‘2 million over 65s with an unmet care and support need, 5.8 million unpaid carers, Up to 1.5 million disabled adults eligible for support but not getting it, 1.2 million unpaid carers in poverty, and 400,000 in deep poverty, 111,000 vacant posts in adult social care. At the bottom, the total reads ‘Millions left without the right support’. This is circled in red. A red arrow points to handwritten red text that says ‘The real figures that matter’.

As the Chancellor finalises her Budget, our message is clear: Remember the people behind the numbers. Make social care the national priority it must be.

Below, you’ll find photos from the day — including Jackie’s heroic dash, the hand-in at Downing Street, and the group outside the Treasury.

Together, we keep pushing. Together, we keep telling these stories. And together, we’ll keep campaigning for the investment and action that older people, disabled people and unpaid carers need — and deserve.