In an interview on BBC Breakfast this morning (Tuesday 14th January 2020) the Prime Minister Boris Johnson committed to bringing forward a plan for social care reform this year and implementing it by the end of Parliament.

Responding to the Prime Minister’s comments on social care, Helen Walker, Chief Executive of Carers UK, said:

“With every day that passes, fewer older and disabled people are receiving the standard of care they need and family members are increasingly picking up the pieces. A clear and robust plan for social care reform, including long term investment, cannot come soon enough.

“With older and disabled people living for much longer than before, families cannot be expected to take on the huge amount of care required – which has staggering implications for their own finances and personal health in the long term. As it stands, more than 600 people quit their job every day to care for family members at a huge personal cost.

“To be effective the Government’s plan for social care must include practical and financial support for unpaid carers, the pillars of the system, so that they can continue to care without putting their own lives on hold.”