Our response to the Chancellor’s Autumn Budget 2025

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

… Read the rest

Autumn Budget 2025: Delivering Our Red Box of Stories

Red briefcase lies open, filled with stories, letters and notes to the Chancellor

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 deliver our red box of stories to Downing Street

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 … Read the rest

Care and Support Alliance asks MPs to “Show Us You Care” 

On 3 July 2025, the Care and Support Alliance hosted a drop-in reception for MPs in Parliament called Show Us You Care.  

Policy experts from some of the Alliance’s 60 member organisations, as well as a range of older and disabled people with experience of drawing on care, plus their unpaid carers and care professionals met with MPs to discuss the current state of social care. They discussed the transformative impact good, reliable care can have, and the issues … Read the rest

Care and Support Alliance responds to the Spending Review

On behalf of the Care and Support Alliance, Co-Chair, Jackie O’Sullivan, Executive Director of Strategy and Influence at Mencap, said:
“We welcome the Chancellor’s commitment that the Government will ‘back the Fair Pay Agreement’ and as an Alliance we will hold her to her word, when the time comes – which will not be until 2027 we believe.
“We also welcome the additional £4+ billion pledged for adult social care by 2028/9, when Baroness Casey’s Commission is due. However, until
… Read the rest

Care and Support Alliance response to announcement of independent commission on adult social care

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, Emily Holzhausen CBE, Director of Policy and Public Affairs at Carers UK, said: 

“In last year’s election we called on politicians to show us they care about social care and the 2.6 million people in England who go without the support they need. So, we are delighted that Baroness Louise Casey has been … Read the rest

Chancellor – Don’t ignore social care in the Budget

Dear Chancellor,

As Co-Chairs of the Care and Support Alliance, on behalf of our members, we are writing to you ahead of the upcoming Autumn Budget to raise our concerns about the levels of funding available for the delivery of adult social care in England.

The Care and Support Alliance (CSA), a coalition of over sixty of England’s leading charities, campaigns alongside the millions of older people, disabled people, and their unpaid carers who rely on adult social care. 

 

A
… Read the rest

CSA warns Rishi Sunak not to backtrack on social care promise four years on

 

On 24th July 2019, the new Conservative Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, stood on the steps of Downing Street and pledged to “fix the crisis in social care once and for all”.

In his first speech as Prime Minister, his successor Rishi Sunak emphasized that the “mandate his party earned in 2019” under the leadership of Boris Johnson was also his mandate and vowed to “deliver on its [manifesto] promise.”

We are concerned that four years later, social care reform has … Read the rest

Happy Birthday NHS! CSA calls on political leaders to give the NHS the gift of a functioning social care system

5th July 2023 is the NHS’ 75th birthday. We can’t imagine life without it – but unfortunately, our NHS is facing increasing pressure from the catastrophic issues facing social care. 

“A crucial part of the ongoing health of the NHS is having a social care system that ensures people get the care they need to stay healthy and independent for as long as possible.”

1 in every 10 social care posts are vacant. This means more and more … Read the rest

Capping care costs: Telegraph letter from CSA Chair (24 July 2015)

Capping care costs

SIR – Last week, the Government announced plans to delay the implementation of a cap on care costs in England until 2020.

This was the right thing to do; continuing with the care cap would have been a costly diversion of energy and resources at a critical time.

The top priority must be to prevent the social care system – which millions of people depend on – from collapsing. These people need reassurance that, in acknowledging the … Read the rest