In response to the Chancellor’s Budget announcement on 26 November 2025, the three co-chairs of the Care and Support Alliance; Caroline Abrahams CBE, Charity Director at Age UK, Jackie O’Sullivan, Executive Director of Strategy and Influence at Mencap, and Emily Holzhausen CBE, Director of Policy and Public Affairs at Carers UK, said: 

“Today’s Budget announcement does nothing to address the escalating crisis in social care. Adult social care budgets in England are already heading for a £623 million overspend this year, driven by rising demand from people with increasingly complex needs – and demographic modelling shows this pressure will only increase as more of us live longer with multiple long-term conditions.

Behind these figures lies a staggering level of unmet need. Disabled people, older people and unpaid carers are being left without the basic support required to live safely and with dignity. Families are being pushed to breaking point, and local authorities cannot continue stretching budgets that no longer meet even their legal duties.

Just yesterday, we delivered our Red Box of Stories to the Chancellor – a powerful reminder of the real lives behind these statistics. Those stories made clear that people cannot afford to wait any longer for action.

We strongly support the work of the Casey Commission, which will play a vital role in setting out long-term solutions — but action on social care cannot wait until 2028. People need help now. The Government must commit to urgent investment or the crisis will deepen further and the human cost will continue to grow.”