MPs launch inquiry into cost of 'inaction' on social care crisis

MPs are launching an inquiry into the cost of "inaction" on the adult social care crisis.

After years of failure to fix the broken system, the Health and Social Care Committee will look at the impact on the and cash-strapped local councils.

It will also examine how any cost of inaction is felt if people feel the need to stop or cut their working hours as they wait for care or become full time unpaid carers.

Chair of the committee Layla Moran said: “Our social care system is in crisis. Over the years there have been many reviews and proposals, but successive governments have failed to tackle the problems, because they think reforms cost too much.

"But this ongoing inaction has a cost. No one is talking about the costs we are all accepting by not reforming the system. A cost to patients and their families, a cost to the NHS, a cost to our local authorities, and a cost to the wider economy and the Treasury."

At the last week, the Chancellor said there would be at least a £600million in grant funding for social care for local authorities.

But the Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey warned the government is "ignoring the elephant in the NHS waiting room - the crisis in social care". During the debate, he said: "I'm afraid today's announcement on social care just won't touch the sides.

"It's only a standstill in a crisis, so unless we finally tackle this problem, unless we finally agree on a long-term solution for social care, we will never end the crisis in our health service either."

A Department of Health and Social Care spokeswoman said: "This government is determined to tackle the challenges facing adult social care and build a National Care Service so everybody can access the high-quality care they deserve.

“We have already taken a critical step by introducing the legislation that will establish the first ever Fair Pay Agreement for care professionals to improve recruitment and retention.

“To support our unpaid family carers, from April 2025 we will increase the Carer's Allowance weekly earnings limit from £151 a week to £196 – the equivalent of 16 hours at the National Living Wage. We want to build consensus across party on the long-term reforms needed, and we welcome the Health and Social Care Select Committee’s inquiry into this important issue.”

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