The Prime Minister, Andy Burnham, has announced a new National Care Service that would provide free personal care for older people in the next Parliament, according to government statements reported by the BBC. The service is intended to be based on need rather than the ability to pay.
Key points
- National Care Service — free personal care for older people, phased in over time.
- State Pension — current Triple Lock stays until April 2030, then rises by at least inflation or 2.5%, with an earnings link over time.
- Funding — savings from the adjusted Triple Lock will pay for the care service, not borrowing.
- Baroness Casey — her independent Commission will report in summer 2027 on how to deliver the service.
The existing State Pension Triple Lock will be maintained throughout this Parliament, increasing the pension by more than £2,000. From April 2030, a new formula will apply: the pension will rise by 2.5% or inflation, whichever is higher, and by more if needed to keep pace with average earnings. This means that if wages grow, pensioners will share in that growth, and no one’s pension will go down.
The government estimates that adjusting the Triple Lock will reduce state pension spending by £15 billion a year by the late 2030s, and by £50 billion a year by 2050. These savings will be used to build up the National Care Service, with Baroness Casey’s Commission recommending how and when it is introduced. The service will cover personal care such as help with eating, bathing and using the toilet, but not bed and board, which will remain means-tested through councils. Existing protections for homes when a partner or dependent lives there will stay, and deferred payment agreements will still be available.
Around three in four adults over 65 are expected to need care and support later in life, and one in seven face costs of more than £100,000. The current system is seen as unfair because two people with the same needs can face different charges depending on whether their condition is classed as health or social care. The Prime Minister warned that without fixing social care, the NHS will also be under unsustainable pressure, with delays in discharging patients and extra strain on A&E. The new service will be introduced in phases as savings grow and workforce capacity is built up. Baroness Casey will begin the next phase of her ‘Big Conversation on Care’ to gather public views.
What it means in practice
For people in the UK, the big change is that free personal care for older people is being planned, but not yet in place. Meanwhile, the State Pension will keep rising under the current Triple Lock until 2030, and after that will rise by at least inflation or 2.5%, with an earnings link over time. This means pensions are protected against inflation spikes and will share in wage growth, but the change is expected to save the government money to pay for care.
- Check your pension forecast — the new rules start in 2030, so anyone planning retirement should keep an eye on official statements.
- Care costs — until the new service is fully rolled out, means-tested council support and deferred payment agreements still apply, so it is worth understanding what you might have to pay.
- Have your say — Baroness Casey’s Commission is asking for public views, so if you have experience of care, you can feed into the ‘Big Conversation on Care’.
