Prime Minister Andy Burnham pledged to reform England’s adult social care system, calling it "as unfair as American healthcare." He has invited opposition leaders to seek a cross-party solution and proposed integrating a national care service with the NHS and creating a workforce plan. Think-tanks warn of rising local-authority spending and lifetime care bills that can exceed £100,000 for many older people.
PM Burnham Vows Major Overhaul of England’s 'Unfair' Adult Social Care System
Britain's Prime Minister Andy Burnham speaks to residents, care workers, volunteers and social care stakeholders during a care home visit in London, Wednesday, July 29, 2026. Kirsty Wigglesworth/Pool via REUTERS
LONDON, July 29 — Prime Minister Andy Burnham on Wednesday pledged to overhaul England’s adult social care system, saying he wants cross-party agreement to fix what he called an arrangement that leaves vulnerable people exposed to crippling costs.
Britain's Prime Minister Andy Burnham meets residents and staff members as he visits a care home in London, Wednesday, July 29, 2026. Kirsty Wigglesworth/Pool via REUTERS
Why Change Is Urgent
Burnham said successive governments have failed to tackle a system in which families can face lifetime bills running into the hundreds of thousands of pounds, and where past reform attempts were branded a "dementia tax" or "death tax" by opponents. Speaking at a care home in north London, he cited the high-quality care his father, who has Alzheimer’s disease, received as a motivating factor.
Britain's Prime Minister Andy Burnham meets a resident as he visits a care home in London, Wednesday, July 29, 2026. Kirsty Wigglesworth/Pool via REUTERS
"I think social care in England is as unfair as American healthcare. The vulnerable pay with everything and it can completely leave them with nothing,"
What Burnham Proposes
Burnham said he has invited the leaders of the Conservative and Liberal Democrat parties to talks and hopes a national consensus will emerge over time, while acknowledging that difficult choices are ahead. He suggested greater integration between a national care service and the National Health Service could improve outcomes and reduce costly last-minute interventions by the NHS.
Britain's Prime Minister Andy Burnham meets residents during a visit to a care home in London, Wednesday, July 29, 2026. Kirsty Wigglesworth/Pool via REUTERS
His ministers will develop an overarching workforce plan for the care sector. Burnham also warned that tackling profiteering and unsafe cost-cutting by some private providers will be part of the political agenda.
Britain's Prime Minister Andy Burnham speaks to residents, care workers, volunteers and social care stakeholders during a care home visit in London, Wednesday, July 29, 2026. Kirsty Wigglesworth/Pool via REUTERS
Sector Snapshot
Care homes in England are provided by a mix of operators — from international private-equity-owned chains to small family-run homes, charities and local government. Residents paying privately face typical costs of around £1,400 a week, while local authorities are charged roughly £1,000 a week for comparable care. How much a person pays depends on their wealth and eligibility for state support.
Private equity owned about one in eight for-profit care home beds in 2022. The King's Fund estimates English local authorities spent £34.5 billion on social care for disabled adults and older people in 2024/25, up about 8% year-on-year. Research from the Institute for Fiscal Studies indicates around one in seven older people may face lifetime care costs exceeding £100,000.
Exchange Rate Used In Reporting: $1 = 0.7518 pounds
Reporting: Alistair Smout and David Milliken. Editing: Alex Richardson and Andrei Khalip.
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