Sector Dismay at Chancellor’s Spring Statement
The UK adult social care sector has expressed significant dismay and disappointment following Chancellor Rachel Reeves’ Spring Statement on March 3, 2026, with leaders warning that the continued absence of dedicated support and funding risks undermining both the sector and the wider economy.
Professor Martin Green OBE, Chief Executive of Care England, commented: “The Spring Statement offered little reassurance for adult social care providers. While it focused on the wider economic outlook, it did not address the mounting pressures facing the social care sector.
“Economic stability is essential. But economic stability cannot be sustained without a stable adult social care system. Today’s Spring Statement focused heavily on the NHS and defence, yet social care was absent while cost and workforce pressures continue to mount, further increasing sector instability.
“Social care is not a peripheral service. It enables people to work, supports families, prevents hospital admissions, and facilitates timely hospital discharge. When social care is fragile, the whole system feels the strain. While falling inflation and interest rates may ease some operational pressures, social care continues to face deep, structural challenges.
“If the government wants growth in every community and place in England, and is serious about reducing hospital wait times, then social care must be recognised as a foundational public service and economic sector.”
We cannot accept silence”: Lausa Biragi, founder of You & I Care, responds to the spring statement.
Lausa Biragi founder of You & I Care, which operates in Essex, Surrey and Hertfordshire, said: “The care sector is in crisis and we require concrete plans immediately. The spring statement offered no solution, acknowledgement or pathway, at a time when we urgently need those in leadership positions to truly take initiative. The sector is currently on a cliff edge, yet we are met with silence and continued uncertainty. If the government fails to step forward with a credible and fully-funded plan, the risk of widespread collapse is very real.
“To save the care system, we must confront the reality of what happens if it ceases to function. The implications would be catastrophic. We would see thousands of people forced out of work to care for ageing parents, while professional carers would lose their livelihoods entirely. Furthermore, the NHS would inevitably buckle under the immense strain of avoidable hospital admissions. The consequences would ripple far beyond social care, creating a domino effect across the entire economy and society.
“This is not a hypothetical scenario; it is where we are heading without urgent intervention. As a sector, we cannot and will not accept silence. The government must recognise the scale of this crisis and set out a robust, long-term plan to secure the future of social care now.”
Dr Layla McCay, director of policy speaking for NHS Confederation and NHS Providers, said:
“We agree wholeheartedly with the Chancellor’s priority to stabilise public finances. However, the financial context for the NHS has changed significantly since the government’s Autumn Budget. A higher than expected pay award for NHS staff, three rounds of resident doctors’ strikes, forthcoming increases to medicines spending and potential inflationary pressures from conflicts overseas will take their toll on an already stretched budget.
“This raises very difficult questions about how services will meet rising demand while pursuing the government’s ambitions for long-term transformation.
“NHS organisations are coming under severe financial pressure, with leaders warning of cuts to services and staffing levels. Already several integrated care boards expect to end this financial year in deficit despite major efficiency savings and productivity gains. The Office for Budget Responsibility specifically highlights the risk of further industrial action across the NHS as a ‘significant risk’ to departmental spending plans.
“Recent improvements in elective and cancer care show what targeted investment can achieve. Growing financial pressures, without fresh government commitments, are putting this momentum at risk.”
