Government announces major changes in order to improve Adult Social Care

News - 9 January 2025

The government has announced a sizeable number of reforms and investment aimed at transforming adult social care and addressing the current challenges. The announcement includes immediate financial support, modern technology initiatives, and the establishment of an independent commission in order to create long-term reforms.

Immediate actions to support Adult Social Care

It has been announced that £86 million has been granted to the Disabled Facilities Grant, this will bring the total funding for the scheme to £711 million for the 2025-2026 financial year. This funding will enable 7,800 more disabled and elderly people to make essential home adaptations, allowing them to live independently for longer and reducing hospital admissions.

The government is also focusing on using care technology to enhance support for older people, helping older people live at home for longer. These technologies include sensors to prevent falls which aim to reduce the pressure currently experienced by the NHS. There are also steps being taken to support care workers, care workers will receive additional training to take on more healthcare tasks, such as blood pressure checks, helping to deliver routine care at home and alleviating pressure on other health services. We know through our work in Digi Apps, digitisation can create barriers to accessing health services and so there needs to be assurance that people who are unable or choose not to use technology are still able to access all of their services. 

Long-term change and the Independent Commission

The government is also focusing on long-term reforms, an independent commission is being created and will work to reshape the adult social care system for the future. The commission will engage with care users, families, care workers, and political leaders to develop recommendations in order to create  a sustainable and fair system. We will be monitoring the updates that get released about the commission and keep you informed about what this will mean to you. 

Support for carers

The government has also announced a Fair Pay Agreement for care professionals and an increase in the Carer’s Allowance earnings limit. The earnings limit will rise by £45 per week, benefiting over 60,000 additional carers by 2029-2030. All of these changes are aimed to reduce the current and future pressure on the NHS, improve the quality of life for older people, and ensure that the adult social care sector will be able to meet the future needs of the community. 

We will be working with the City of London Corporation to ensure that residents in the City are able to access social care that meets there needs.

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