Today (Thursday March 5th) Baroness Louise Casey, Chair of the Independent Commission on Adult Social Care, spoke at the Nuffield Trust Summit 2026 giving her first assessment of the social care landscape since the commission started work. 

Helen Walker, Chief Executive at Carers UK, said:

“Carers UK welcomes Baroness Casey’s honest and powerful view that social care, which has been undervalued for far too long, needs its own moment for reform. Now is the right time to begin a national conversation about what care services should look like in the future, including how they can be properly funded and better integrated with the NHS.

“Baroness Casey has spent time speaking with our members across the UK, and today’s speech reflected many of the concerns unpaid carers raise with us, from long waiting lists to the struggle to access the right support. The additional anxiety and pressure of this takes a real toll. 43% of current or former carers say a mental or physical health condition has developed or worsened since they took on caring responsibilities.

“We are pleased that Baroness Casey is interested in highlighting the hidden costs of inadequate social care. Every day, 600 people give up work to provide care. 62% of people who are currently providing, or have previously provided, unpaid care say they had no choice in taking on this role because no other care options were available. This has serious consequences for their financial security and long-term future.

“The average person has a 50:50 chance of providing care by the age of 50, often long before reaching retirement. Caring touches every family, and we all have a stake in building a system that works. Carers cannot afford to wait for change, and the work Baroness Casey is doing only strengthens the case for investment now to support those who need care and those providing it.”