Joint inquiry launched on long-term funding of adult social care

• Long-term funding of adult social care inquiry
• Communities and Local Government Committee
• Health Committee

Social Care Green Paper

The Government has confirmed its intention to present a Green Paper containing proposals to reform care and support for older people before the summer recess.

The inquiry seeks to identify funding reforms that will command broad consensus to allow progress in ensuring the long-term sustainability of both the health and care systems.

Send a written submission

Written submissions are invited on the following by 7 March:

• How to fund social care sustainably for the long term (beyond 2020), bearing in mind in particular the interdependence of the health and social care systems; and
• The mechanism for reaching political and public consensus on a solution.

Send a written submission to the long-term funding of adult social care inquiry

Previous reports

There have been several in-depth reports over the last decade examining the long-term funding of health and social care.

In March 2017, the CLG Committee concluded that "the need to find a way to fund social care for the long term has now become urgent" and recommended considering using national taxation as a new source of funding.

In April 2017, the Lords Committee on the Long-term Sustainability of the NHS concluded that reforms were needed "as quickly as practicable" and, on the potential sources of funding for social care, recommended "an insurance-based scheme".

There have also been calls for the reforms to be implemented by an independent body. In November 2017, a cross-party group of MPs wrote to the Prime Minister, calling for a "cross-party NHS and Care Convention".

The Committees are expected to report in May.

Further information

• Guidance on written submissions
• About Parliament: Select committees
• Visiting Parliament: Watch committees

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