As the UK General Election approaches, social care remains a pivotal issue for voters. The manifestos of the Conservative, Labour, and Liberal Democrat parties outline their commitments and plans to address social care, an area of critical concern for many families and individuals. We’ve gathered the commitments from those manifestos below – and also in this table – to aid you in comparing the social care pledges of those parties.
1. Evidence of a Commitment to Improve Social Care for Older Adults as an Early Priority
Conservative Party:
The Conservative manifesto emphasises a high-quality and sustainable social care system, supported by the “People at the Heart of Care” white paper published in December 2021. This document outlines a ten-year vision for social care, though it raises questions about accountability within the current term. A notable early action includes capping individual social care costs at a maximum of £86,000 starting October 2025.
Labour Party:
Labour’s manifesto includes social care reform within a broader chapter on the NHS but does not prioritise it among the first six steps for change. The section on social care is brief, with few specific deliverable actions.
Liberal Democrat Party:
The Liberal Democrats dedicate a separate chapter to care, outlining specific measurable actions they intend to be accountable for during their term. Their clear, actionable plans aim to reform and improve social care comprehensively.
2. Evidence of Clear Plans to Address Care Worker Shortages and Standards of Care
Conservative Party:
The Conservatives propose a workforce strategy focused on learning and development over a ten-year period. This strategy includes support for attracting and retaining high-quality care workers but lacks measurable short-term actions.
Labour Party:
Labour promises to establish a Fair Pay Agreement, alongside training standards and improved terms and conditions for care workers. However, these actions lack detailed timelines or measurable outcomes.
Liberal Democrat Party:
The party proposes a range of measurable actions to make social care careers more attractive, including increasing minimum wages, establishing career pathways, and creating a Royal College of Care Workers.
3) Evidence of Plans to Separate “Means Tested Care” from “Needs Based Care”
Conservative Party:
The party plans to implement reforms to cap social care costs by October 2025, showing partial commitment to separating means-tested from needs-based care.
Labour Party:
Labour’s manifesto does not clearly address the separation of means-tested and needs-based care.
Liberal Democrat Party:
The Liberal Democrats pledge to end the postcode lottery of service provision and provide national high-quality care based on need, with predictable and consistent funding for free personal care.
4) Evidence of Plans to Make Life Easier for Carers Juggling Work and Care
Conservative Party:
Chapter 5 of their white paper focuses on navigating the care system and accessing support services for unpaid carers. The manifesto mentions “support unpaid carers” but does not provide specific new measures.
Labour Party:
Labour states a commitment to ensuring families receive necessary support but lacks specific, measurable actions for unpaid carers.
Liberal Democrat Party:
Their manifesto includes detailed measures to support unpaid carers, such as increasing Carer’s Allowance, offering statutory respite breaks, and introducing paid carer’s leave.
5) Evidence of Specific Plans to Prevent Older Adults Suffering Avoidable Illness and Injury
Conservative Party:
The Conservatives commit to publishing and implementing a Major Conditions Strategy to ensure optimal care for those affected.
Labour Party:
Labour vaguely addresses support for an ageing population without specific commitments to prevent avoidable illness or injury for older adults.
Liberal Democrat Party:
The Liberal Democrats commit to various actions to support healthy ageing, including establishing a Commissioner for Older People, rolling out active ageing programmes, expanding social prescribing to combat loneliness and tackling falls and bone health.
Conclusion
The social care pledges of the UK’s top three parties show differing levels of commitment and detail. The Conservatives offer long-term visions with few immediate actions, Labour provides general promises with limited specifics, while the Liberal Democrats present the most detailed and measurable plans.
For more information on the 2024 General Election and social care policies, visit Conservative Manifesto, Labour Manifesto, and Liberal Democrats Manifesto.
The parties included in this article were decided based on the results of the 2019 UK General Election