Ben Cooper column: ‘A National Care Service for everyone’

In the final days of the last Labour government, Andy Burnham presented plans for a new National Care Service. 16 years on, he has the opportunity to deliver the greatest transformation of support and care in a generation. But disabled adults must be at its heart.

Over the past two years, Labour has undoubtedly made some progress on social care. Councils are spending more supporting those who need it. For the first time in 10 years, the number of people receiving publicly funded social care has increased. Over 150,000 disabled adults have seen more of their income protected from care charges, putting £400 more in their pocket. Legislation to establish the first fair pay agreement for social care has been passed. This is major and important progress.

But the scale of the problem means more work is needed. Around 1.5m working age disabled adults have an unmet need for social care, alongside two million older people. Many are still forced to pay unaffordable amounts for their care and support as fees rise rapidly. The system remains too complicated and stressful for those seeking help. And the National Care Service, recommended by the Fabian Society and included in the 2024 manifesto, has been kicked into the long grass, as the Casey Commission seeks a political consensus.

READ MORE: https://labourlist.org/2026/06/towards-a-health-biosphere/?amp

The public are frustrated with the speed of reform. In February 2026, Ipsos and the Health Foundation found 54 per cent said the government did not have the right policies for social care. And while social care rarely features in election campaigns, the failure to fix it is creating frustration, as people pay more in council tax to fund social care but get less from the local services they use.

We have three years until the next election is due. Fixing social care has to be a priority for this government. Spending more money within a broken system isn’t good enough – nor is waiting for political consensus that may never arrive. Our country needs a National Care Service for everyone who needs support and assistance.

A National Care Service ‘for everyone’ is crucial. Because too often, working-age disabled adults are forgotten. 

Last year, over 650,000 working age disabled adults requested support from their local authority with social care. Half of what local authorities spend on long-term care and help goes to support disabled people aged under 65. When disabled people are left out, the scale of change is minimised.

Take the issue of care charging. There is no doubt that the government needs to make care more affordable. For those aged over 65, numerous cross-party commissions, white papers, and think tank reports have sought to find ways to do so. And what older people pay for their care can literally break the prospects of reform, as Andy Burnham and Theresa May know all too well.

Far less attention is dedicated to care charges paid by working age disabled people. Disabled people’s organisations report they increase hardship, require choices between food and care, and prevent saving for future emergencies. So where is the discussion and debate about the solutions to fix that?

Become a friend of LabourList and join our community. Our friends support our vital non-factional work and get access to exclusive content and events. 

Catastrophic costs faced by older people with dementia matter, but so do the decades of care costs paid by those who are disabled early in life. Protecting some of the assets of older people is seen as a priority, but what about the disabled people who face little prospect of building wealth due to charges? The National Care Service cannot deliver more affordable care for one group; it must deliver for everyone. 

It isn’t just about care charging. Policymakers spend a lot of time talking about integrating healthcare and social care, which makes sense for older people, who often have complex health needs. But many working age disabled people will go years without interacting with the NHS. For them, social care needs to be integrated more with housing and employment support. 

This shows the importance of developing the National Care Service with the people who will benefit from it – working age and older. 

The next three years offers the best opportunity to build a National Care Service for all. The next Prime Minister should seize the agenda, and ensure disabled people are not forgotten. And whenever the next election is called, Labour can show the difference for those who need support and care the most. 

Subscribe here to our daily newsletter roundup of Labour news, analysis and comment– and follow us on TikTok, Bluesky, WhatsApp, X and Facebook. You can also write to our editor to share your thoughts on our stories and share your own. The best letters are published every Sunday.

• • SHARE: If you have anything to share that we should be looking into or publishing about this story – or any other topic involving Labour– contact us (strictly anonymously if you wish) at [email protected].
  • SUBSCRIBE: Sign up to LabourList’s morning email here for the best briefing on everything Labour, every weekday morning.
  • BECOME A FRIEND: If you enjoyed this, why not consider becoming a Friend of LabourList? Help sustain our journalism, and of course Friends do get benefits…
  • PARTNER: If you or your organisation might be interested in partnering with us on sponsored events or projects, email [email protected].
  • ADVERTISE: If your organisation would like to advertise or run sponsored pieces on LabourList‘s daily newsletter or website, contact our exclusive ad partners Total Politics at [email protected].