Social Care Funding Matters

Raising awareness about the current issues with Social Care Funding

Throughout June 2025, the Community Care Law team at Martin Searle Solicitors are running their campaign Social Care Funding Matters, to raise awareness about the current problems with social care funding. Their Community Care Law Team will provide practical advice and assistance to individuals keen to find out more about what how to access social care funding and the services they are entitled to under the Care Act. Their advice is also available to professionals such as accountants, financial advisors, private client lawyers and professional deputies who also have to offer advice about paying for care.

Accessing adequate social care provision remains very challenging. A cross-party group of MPs reported in May 2025 that the costs of inaction would include 2 million people aged over 65 and 1.5 million people of working age not getting the care that they need. The current system places huge avoidable financial pressures on the NHS and local authorities – the Association of Directors of Adult Social Services found in November 2024 that 81% of Local Authorities expect to overspend on social care, whilst in December 2024 Carers UK estimated that up to 10 million unpaid carers in England and Wales are working for free to prop up a failing care system.

The Community Care Law team have found that much of the information published by the media is incomplete, misleading, or does not represent the true nature of the care funding system. This means that a large number of people do not access the financial support from health or social services that they are legally entitled to.