Adult Social Care
Baroness Casey ‘keen to crack on’ after first cross-party social care talks
The leader of a commission into the future of social care in England is keen to “crack on” with improvements in the sector, one of those who attended the first cross-party meeting into its work said. https://www.impartialreporter.com/news/national/25450903.baroness-casey-keen-crack-on-first-cross-party-social-care-talks/
Conservative shadow health and social care secretary Stuart Andrew made the comments as Health and Social Care Secretary Wes Streeting thanked those who were present for “putting politics aside to find a way forward”.
They were joined by representatives from the Liberal Democrats, Green and Reform UK parties at the meeting on Monday with Baroness Louise Casey.
UK Think-Tank Calls for “Radical and Urgent Reform” of Britain’s “Broken” Social Care System
The Social Care Foundation (SCF), a UK-wide think tank, today publishes a wide-ranging report on the state and future of social care in Britain. https://thecareruk.com/uk-think-tank-calls-for-radical-and-urgent-reform-of-britains-broken-social-care-system/
Damian Green, a former Conservative deputy prime minister and author of the report, Who Cares?
Solutions for the Social Care Review, warns that successive Tory and Labour governments have left social care “in limbo” and that Britain can no longer afford to ignore an unfolding crisis.
Aimed at informing the Independent Commission into Adult Social Care, chaired by Baroness Louise Casey, the report calls for bold and decisive action to transform how adult care is funded, delivered – and how it integrates with the NHS – with 35 key recommendations, including:
• the creation of a National Care System with money awarded to individuals on the basis of a standardised assessment of entitlement to care.
• the abolition of funding and care provision by local authorities
• the introduction of a Health and Care Levy and/or a pension-style Care Supplement
• a “massive” increase in later life housing provision with planning policies “strengthened” to meet the needs of Britain’s ageing population.
New national standards for adult social care now in development
A series of roundtables are expected to shape a shared vision for social care to be submitted to the Casey Commission. https://www.carehomeprofessional.com/new-national-standards-of-social-care/
The Social Care Institute for Excellence (SCIE) and The Access Group are convening policy roundtables to discuss and develop a framework for national standards of social care.
Working together, the groups are gathering people to shape the future of adult social care by building a shared vision of how national standards can deliver consistency, equity and quality across the country.
This shared vision will be drawn from four roundtables taking place in October and November.
Research reveals huge increase in unpaid carers over past decade
England’s social care system is at “breaking point”, with the number of unpaid carers increasing by 70% over the past two decades, according to a report.
Research for the Institute of Public Policy Research (IPPR) found rising demand, shrinking supply, and a growing reliance on unpaid carers. https://www.irvinetimes.com/news/national/25478899.research-reveals-huge-increase-unpaid-carers-past-decade/
Analysis for the report, conducted by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation (JRF), revealed the number of people providing 35 hours or more a week of care increased from 1.1 million in 2003/04 to 1.9 million in 2023/24.
New requests for support increased from 1.8 million in 2015/16 to 2.1 million in 2023/24, mainly from working age adults increasingly needing care, said the report.
There has been a 15% rise in people requesting some form of adult social care which has only been met with a 2.5% increase in those receiving it, according to the research.
‘Many adult social care services failing to help people live healthier lives’
Fewer than two thirds of adult social care services in England are deemed to be doing a good job of supporting people to live healthier lives, according to data said to reveal the need for a “radical rethink” of how the sector works. https://www.thenational.scot/news/national/25496397.many-adult-social-care-services-failing-help-people-live-healthier-lives
The Royal Society for Public Health (RSPH) said the current adult social care system is “a long way” from being one that supports people to live the best quality of life for as long as possible.
The charity submitted a Freedom of Information request to the watchdog on its inspections of care homes and homecare settings, and found that in the 1,097 recent inspections, as of May this year, where this element was reported on, shortfalls were found in 462 cases.
This meant that 58% of services inspected by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) met a “good” standard when it came to supporting people to live healthier lives.
Relevant measures included how well social care service users were encouraged to make healthier choices in their diet, lifestyle and physical activity, and the extent to which health risks were identified through GP referrals or other health checks to prevent someone’s condition deteriorating.
The charity also spoke with carers and found that while they might often identify warning signs of health problems in a person they are caring for, they are not supported to intervene or make referrals into health services “until a crisis point is reached”.
Families face unfair ‘luck of the draw’ over NHS continuing healthcare – report
There is an unfair “luck of the draw” when it comes to families getting NHS funding for their loved ones, according to a report. https://www.impartialreporter.com/news/national/25496390.families-face-unfair-luck-draw-nhs-continuing-healthcare—report/
Financial pressures are also playing a “key role” in how NHS continuing healthcare (CHC) operates, “with all parts of the system facing significant pressure to keep costs down”, the study from the Nuffield Trust found.
CHC is a package of health and social care provided outside of hospital, which the NHS pays for.
It is for people who are identified as having a “primary health need” but has repeatedly hit the headlines for being an unfair system.
Various parliamentary reports have criticised how funding is allocated across England, while the National Audit Office said the system can leave families without support they are entitled to.
Some families have taken local health organisations to court to win CHC funding after being turned down.
In the latest analysis, researchers found CHC is failing to reach some of the most unwell patients in England.
They said the current CHC framework reinforces deep regional inequalities, with variations in who is eligible for funding, and less being spent per person in deprived areas and the north of England.
Despite overall spending on CHC increasing, the number deemed eligible for help is falling.
Overall, the number of people eligible for CHC fell from 57,216 at the end of June 2017 to 52,008 at the end of December 2024 – a drop of 9.1%.
This is being driven by fewer people being able to access longer-term CHC funding, compared with fast-track funding, which is intended to support people at the end of their lives.
Later Life Support
Only four in 10 working ‘Boomers’ feel prepared for retirement
Fewer than half of workers aged 60+ feel prepared for retirement, raising concerns about the adequacy of support for people preparing for life after work. https://ifamagazine.com/only-four-in-10-working-boomers-feel-prepared-for-retirement/
New research into the experiences and attitudes of the ‘Baby Boom’ generation born between 1946-64 – part of the GenVoices programme from retirement specialist Just Group – reveals many approaching, and at State Pension age but still working, are not confident about their retirement preparations.
Among the 60-64 age group more than three-quarters (76%) had not retired. Of these, 39% said they felt prepared for retirement with 38% saying they did not feel prepared with 23% feeling neither prepared nor unprepared.
For the age 65-69 cohort which straddles State Pension Age, one-third (31%) were yet to retire. Of these, 45% said they felt prepared for retirement while 31% felt unprepared, with 24% neither prepared nor unprepared.
Later life borrowers risk being ‘underserved’ in today’s market
Later Life borrowers are at risk of being “significantly underserved” in today’s market, Key Group chief risk and compliance, Charlotte Allen, has warned. https://www.ftadviser.com/equity-release/2025/9/24/later-life-borrowers-risk-being-underserved-in-todays-market/
In response to the Financial Conduct Authority’s Mortgage Market Discussion Paper, the feedback to which closed last week, Allen highlighted that the silos in mortgage advice reinforced by regulation “need to evolve”.
She argued this should recognise the benefits of later life lending products and the good consumer outcomes they deliver.
Key believes advisers need to act now to break down barriers across the market which are blocking effective use of property wealth in later life and retirement and not wait for the FCA to act.
Allen said: “The FCA mortgage discussion paper is very welcome but all advisers should be acting now rather than waiting for the FCA to report back.
“Using housing wealth to support retirement will bring substantial benefits to individuals, consumers, society, and the economy.
“But it must be considered in advance of a consumer reaching retirement age if it is to fully support them in effectively planning for an appropriate standard of living in later life.”
Key also said regulatory change should focus on amending Mortgage Conduct of Business rules so mortgage advice which considers all options for later life customers is set as standard to improve awareness of later life lending.
Later life lending should become ‘mainstream,’ say lenders in FCA review
This comes in response to the Financial Conduct Authority’s mortgage rule review discussion paper, released last week. https://www.mortgagefinancegazette.com/lending-news/equity-release/later-life-lending-should-become-mainstream-say-lenders-in-fca-review-25-09-2025/
The regulator’s paper points out that around £2.6tn, of the UK’s £9.1tn housing stock, is owned by people over 65.
It adds: “If older homeowners are able to access some of this wealth, they may be able to secure a more comfortable retirement.”
But the regulator adds that there are “barriers” to later life lending.
It says products tailored towards older borrowers, particularly lifetime mortgages and retirement interest-only home loans, “are generally more expensive than standard mortgages”.
It asks why other funding models, apart from annuity funds, such as through deposits, “have not been taken up, especially where this could reduce costs”?
The watchdog says it wants to make sure its “rules are not creating a barrier to innovation, and that firms feel confident when launching new offerings”.
It points to two products that it says could provide good options for later life lenders.
The first are equity release products that allow borrowers to draw down each month, rather than in a lump sum, which the regulator adds “could be a cost-effective option for those who don’t have a reliable income in retirement”.
The body also points to “low-start mortgages” that could allow “potential long-term borrowers to reduce their initial payments without some of the risks of an extended term”.
But the regulator adds: “Neither of these products is widely available.”
Vulnerability
Smart Money People: four in five brokers encounter vulnerable clients, but over half of lenders have not received a single disclosure in the past year
Smart Money People, the UK’s most comprehensive financial services review site, has announced the results of its vulnerability disclosure survey. Building on the 2024 broker-focused research with Newcastle Building Society, this year’s survey also includes lenders’ perspectives, giving an even fuller picture of how the mortgage sector supports vulnerable customers. https://ifamagazine.com/smart-money-people-four-in-five-brokers-encounter-vulnerable-clients-but-over-half-of-lenders-have-not-received-a-single-disclosure-in-the-past-year/
The findings show that while four in five brokers reported encountering vulnerable clients, more than half of lenders said they’d not received a single disclosure in the past 12 months.
As a result, only 58.1% of brokers think the industry has made progress in supporting client vulnerability. Encouragingly, more brokers now say they disclose “most” or “all” cases to lenders compared with 2024. But almost a third say they don’t disclose any cases at all.
The research includes nearly 600 responses from brokers and lenders. Lender responses came from a range of lender functions, including BDMs (Business Development Managers), underwriting, compliance, and operational roles. For analysis purposes, lenders were grouped by type based on the source of their response (e.g., building society, high street bank, specialist / challenger).