Labour Manifesto 2024 + Its Impact For Carers, Care Workers & Social Care

On July 4, 2024, the Labour Party won a majority at the General Election. One area they’ll look to focus on is the care sector.

The lack of support for the care sector is leading to a caregiving crisis. With an ageing population, access to appropriate eldercare is one of the biggest challenges faced by Labour. An estimated 5 million people in the UK are taking on informal caregiving responsibilities. This crisis stems from chronic underfunding and inadequate support.

With this in mind, we’ve explained Labour’s plans for carers and the care sector as a whole, and why the elderly care sector and unpaid carers need greater support.

2024 Labour Party Manifesto + Plans For Social Care

In their manifesto, Labour set out several changes to the NHS and wider care sector. These include:

• Begin creating a National Care Service to set minimum standards for social care
• Reach a collective agreement on pay and conditions for carers
• Cutting NHS waiting times with 40,000 more appointments each week
• Expand the NHS workforce and modernising hospital equipment to catch conditions such as cancer earlier
• Recruit an extra 8,500 mental health staff
• Guarantee face-to-face GP appointments by training more GPs and modernising the appointment booking system

Source: Labour Manifesto

Why the Elderly Care Sector Needs Greater Support

Since the beginning of 2024, the number of people searching for elderly care services such as care homes and home care through our website has increased by 169%.

With an ageing population and a growing demand for care, it’s estimated that at least one in ten people in the UK are taking on informal care roles for loved ones as they struggle to find suitable professional care.

What’s more, the rising cost of care, the decreasing number of social care workers and the increasing reliance on informal caregivers have combined to create a financial burden for many. Our research shows that unpaid carers are, on average, out of pocket by £2,613 a year and £207 each month, even after receiving Carer's Allowance.

This urgent situation calls for Labour to take decisive action to support paid and unpaid carers nationwide.

Care Workers React To The Election And Share Their Expectations For Social Care In 2024

Ana Loureiro

A Care Worker at Novus Care in Surrey, Ana Loureiro hopes that Labour will bring change to the sector.

Ana became a carer because she’s always wanted to take care of others, and she’s glad to do it as her job. However, some working conditions can make it challenging to provide the best support for clients’ unique care needs: “Sometimes, the working conditions and pressure of timed visits can make it challenging to do my job; some clients definitely need more time to receive the best level of support for their unique care needs.”

Ana is urging “policymakers to have a good look at us and the care we provide” in the hopes that this will bring “more respect for the work we do, including better pay.”

Georgia Stevens

A Care Supervisor for Novus Care in Surrey, Georgia Stevens has shared that she is “unsure of what difference a newly elected government will make unless they choose to support the care sector.”

Georgia has worked within the care sector for over four years and believes policymakers “can do better by showing the sector some respect. Starting with better pay, respect for the work we do, and better support for career development and growth”.

Fred Lloyd George

The COO and co-founder of Hamilton George Care, Fred Lloyd George has urged Labour to put social care at the top of the agenda. He says:

“Social care continues to be a complex issue avoided by all those currently asking for our votes. Despite problems like underfunding and workforce shortages, no major political party has presented a comprehensive plan. The first priority for the current government should be to develop a clear and detailed strategy.

Up to now, reforms have been fragmented and insufficient. To truly transform the system, we need a coherent plan that acknowledges the interconnectedness of its various components, such as the relationship between the NHS and Local Authorities. And whilst there are clear benefits to digitising patients' journeys to streamline and reduce costs, they must ensure that person-centred care remains at the forefront, emphasising efficiency and quality.

With the public sector struggling to meet demand and maintain quality, many individuals and families are turning to private providers for better, more personalised care. This shift is driving the development of premium care services such as Hamilton George Care as individuals and families turn to private providers for superior, more personalised care.”

Jeanne de Wet

A live-in carer who works for Hamilton George Care, Jeanne de Wet has been providing care for 13 years. She says that:

“Social care is currently woefully underfunded, and care work can be wrongly seen by some as a demeaning or unrewarding career path. That needs to be addressed if there’s any hope of attracting quality carers who will be willing to work with dedication and with the level of service that the senior sector of the population needs and deserves.

I would like to see our next leaders elevating the importance and value of those needing care by providing greater dignity and quality of life to those working in care.”

Unpaid Carer Support & Resources

Like many political parties, Labour didn’t commit to sharing clear policies for the care sector or acknowledge the caregiving crisis the UK is currently facing.

With an ageing population, access to appropriate eldercare is one of our biggest challenges. An estimated 5 million people in the UK are taking on informal caregiving responsibilities - that's one in five of the workforce.

Earlier this year, Wendy Chamberlain (Liberal Democrat MP for North East Fife) led the Carer’s Leave Act campaign, which came into effect in April, making it a legal requirement for all businesses to offer employees a week of unpaid leave for caregiving responsibilities. Whilst this is a step in the right direction for unpaid carers, there was also a lot of uncertainty about how businesses should roll this policy out into their workplaces.

Keir Starmer and the new Labour government should build on the positive steps already taken to support unpaid carers in the workplace. Reviewing unpaid carer policies and legislation must be placed at the top of the agenda for both the Government and business leaders. Looking past the importance of unpaid carer and eldercare support in the workplace isn’t a luxury we can afford.

Here are some useful resources and websites for unpaid carers:

• Carers Trust offer a wide range of resources for unpaid carers
• Find support for carers through Carers’ Resource
• Carers UK have a variety of guides and tools
• GOV.UK list benefits and financial support you could be eligible for as an unpaid carer

Lottie matches care seekers with the best care homes and home care for their needs. You can request a free list of homes or home care agencies from our care experts, who will share relevant care options that match your budget, location and type of care needed.