2025-06-12 14:44:35
Still waiting for answers: Hft responds to social care spending review
Reacting to the Chancellor’s Spending Review of 11 June 2025, Hft CEO Steve Veevers said,
“Above all else our sector needs two things: the money to give the support that people need, and the clarity to know how and when it will be delivered. With that clarity, organisations like Hft can do the long term planning that has enabled us to provide high-quality care and support to learning disabled adults for more than 60 years.
The Spending Review this week promised “over £4bn more” for social care by the end of this parliament compared to this year. This is to be welcomed, though it does not plug the gap that organisations like the Health Foundation think we will be facing by the 2030s. But we heard nothing about how and where this money will be provided. Local government spending power will increase too, and this is also to be welcomed. But with many local authorities increasingly weighed down by their statutory obligations on social care, will it be enough to keep them – and the providers with whom they contract – afloat?
When the government’s Employment Rights Bill passed the Commons earlier this year, we were told that preparation for a Fair Pay Agreement would begin in earnest. Let’s be clear: our brilliant colleagues deserve the decent pay packet that keeps them in the sector, delivering high-quality care. We can’t tolerate a vacancy rate three times the national average, or a turnover rate of 25% every year. But the government needs to set out how Fair Pay will be funded. And in the hundred-plus pages annexed to the Spending Review, it’s never mentioned.
Similarly, as the work of the Baroness Casey’s independent commission on adult social care reform begins, the government needs to reassure the sector that her evidence-led approach will be supported by the funding needed to implement her recommendations. We saw no budget envelope for this in the Spending Review. The government needs to fund the ship to keep sailing – but it also needs to fix the sails. Without setting out funding for both day-to-day operations and meaningful reform, the government’s credibility on social care will remain poor.
I wrote an open letter to the Prime Minister nearly 12 months ago, when his party won their first general election victory in nearly 20 years. I reminded Keir Starmer that our sector, which employs 1 in 20 economically active adults across the country, is often seen as the “Cinderella sister” to the NHS. I pointed out that more than 4 million people work as unpaid carers for family, friends, loved ones and their community. Most crucially, I emphasised that “Learning disabled adults deserve greater choice and control over where and how they live, and access to the dedicated support they need and want.”
We will support the government where it works to make meaningful reforms and provide fair funding to our sector. But we will criticise where needed. Yesterday’s Spending Review leaves many questions unanswered and we must press the government to set out further detail as a matter of urgency.
Notes to editors
For further information please email media.enquiries@hft.org.uk
About Hft
Proudly established in 1962 by a group of visionary parents, Hft is a charity supporting more than 2,500 learning disabled adults in England and Wales. Together, we are creating a future where learning disabled people and their families can live the best life possible.
Providing personalised support. Creating solutions for living independently. Coming together to campaign for positive change. Fundraising for new opportunities and a bigger impact.
In 2033, we’ll live in a world where learning disabled people have greater choice. About where they live. The support they need and want. And how to spend their time and money.
Learning disability versus difficulty
A learning disability is different from a learning difficulty but the terms are often confused and used inter-changeably. A learning difficulty does not affect general intellect, whereas a learning disability is a life-long condition characterised by a reduced intellectual ability and struggle with everyday activities.
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For more information about Hft please visit www.hft.org.uk
