Campaigners From The Care And Support Alliance Deliver Red Box Filled With Stories From Disabled People To 11 Downing Street

On the eve of the Budget, a hand-delivered letter was presented to the Chancellor at Number 11 Downing Street, drawing urgent attention to the crisis facing older people, disabled individuals and unpaid carers who can no longer afford to wait for decisive action on social care.

The intervention comes as social care funding remains critically inadequate, leaving hundreds of thousands without essential support required to live safely and maintain their dignity.

Demographic pressures—including an ageing population, rising disability levels and increasingly complex care needs—are intensifying demand at precisely the moment local authority budgets continue to contract, pushing services to breaking point.

Age UK estimates that two million people aged 65 and over have unmet care and support needs, whilst up to 1.5 million disabled adults in England who are eligible for assistance are currently receiving none. Meanwhile, the nation’s 5.8 million unpaid carers face their own financial crisis, with 1.2 million living in poverty and 400,000 experiencing deep poverty. The letter to the Chancellor underscores that these are not merely statistics, but real people whose quality of life and wellbeing hang in the balance as the Government prepares its fiscal plans.

The CSA – a coalition of 60 leading charities has warned that without urgent investment, more disabled people, older people and unpaid carers will be left without the care and support they need. Families are pushed to breaking point as unpaid carers struggle to plug the gaps.

The Casey Commission on Social Care is examining the scale of the crisis, but with its final report not expected until 2028, campaigners say investment cannot be delayed. The Local Government Association (LGA) has estimated that, over the past decade, care costs have increased by £8.5bn but revenue only by £2.4bn, resulting in a £6.1bn funding gap – and growing. 9 in 10 social care directors have little or no confidence their budgets can meet legal duties. Action is urgently needed now, not in three years’ time.

Emily Holzhausen CBE, Director of Policy & Public Affairs at Carers UK and co-Chair of the Care and Support Alliance says:
“Today’s red box carries the real figures the Chancellor must consider – the disabled people, older people and carers who desperately need her to act. Social care is not a luxury – it’s essential for millions of families across the country and yet, far too many people are going without, bearing the cost of successive governments inaction. Investment in social care is not only about compassion but also about strengthening the NHS, the economy, and community. The chancellor must deliver the funding needed right here, right now.”

Vic, an unpaid carer who attended the hand-in at Downing Street, said: “I’ve been a carer for more than twenty years, supporting both my wife and my son while working full-time. My day doesn’t end when my shift does — I care before work, after work, and through the night. Like so many families, we just keep going because there’s no real safety net. What we need is proper funding for social care so that people like my son can live safely and reach their potential, and carers like me can get the breaks and support we need to stay well. Caring shouldn’t mean losing your health, your income, or your hope. We need a system that truly shares the responsibility, not one that leaves families to shoulder it alone.”

The CSA is calling on the Government to:

• Commit to long-term, sustainable funding for social care.
• Ensure fair pay and conditions for care staff.
• Guarantee that everyone who needs care and support can access it, regardless of where they live.

As the Chancellor prepares her Budget, campaigners urge her to remember the people behind the numbers – and to make social care a national priority.