Autumn Budget 2025: Shocking absence of plans to fund broken social care system

Responding to Chancellor Rachel Reeves’ Budget statement, Carers Trust’s CEO Kirsty McHugh said: 

“The Chancellor today set out a Budget that promised to cut NHS waiting lists, cut debt and borrowing, and cut the cost of living. But the complete absence of funding for our broken social care system in today’s statement is shocking.  

“Our Network Data Exchange results clearly show support for carers locally is under-funded, under-resourced and under pressure. There are more and more carers needing ever greater levels of support, while local resources are being cut.

We need greater investment in local carer services and clarity on existing income, like the Better Care Fund, so unpaid carers from all corners of our communities can be supported. Instead, this budget will heap even greater pressure onto a system that is already straining at the seams. 

“We were, however, pleased to see the allocation of £75 million to cover the cost of cancelling existing debts or returning previously collected debts to carers affected by the Carer’s Allowance overpayments scandal. This will go some way to resolving this injustice that has impacted the lives of too many carers over the past decade.”