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Today more than 24,000 people and 54 organisations are calling on the next Government to make sure it prioritises reform and funding for social care, following decades of political inaction.

In an open letter, addressed to all party leaders, organised by the Care and Support Alliance, which represents over 50 of Britain’s leading charities, highlights decades of underfunding and lack of action has left care in a shocking state. The letter says:

“Millions of older and working aged disabled people and their carers desperately need a social care system that works, and a failure to act would be a betrayal.

“For social care it’s time for actions, not just words. Good social care supports people to live their lives. To get up and out, work, see the people they love, be independent, but currently at least 2.6 million people go without the care they need.”

The Care and Support Alliance (CSA) chairs, Caroline Abrahams, Charity Director at Age UK; Emily Holzhausen, Director of Policy and Public Affairs at Carers UK, and Jackie O'Sullivan, Acting CEO at Mencap said:

“Over the years we’ve had far too much of politicians of all colours over-promising & under-delivering on social care reform, and we can’t go through that all over again. We know that good social care is transformational and it’s tragic to see older people and working age adults deprived of opportunities to live well, and unpaid carers under unbearable pressure to fill yawning service gaps.

“A failure by the next Government to address this long-standing issue would be a betrayal of all those who rely on care and their families, while also setting up the NHS to fail. The prize from successful social care reform is too important for the issue to be put in the 'too difficult box by our politicians, it's time for them to front up and act."

Full list of organisations who have signed the letter:
1. Kari Gerstheimer, CEO, Access Social Care
2. Leo Sowerby, Chief Executive, Affinity Trust
3. Caroline Abrahams CBE, Charity Director, Age UK
4. Jolanta Lasota, Chief Executive, Ambitious about Autism
5. Deborah Alsina MBE, Chief Executive Officer, Versus Arthritis
6. Kathy Roberts, Chief Executive, Association of Mental Health Providers
7. Clive Parry, England Director, ARC England
8. Andrew Langford, Chief Executive, British Association for Music Therapy
9. Adam Micklethwaite, Director, Autism Alliance UK
10. Professor Martin Green, Chief Executive, Care England
11. Karolina Gerlich, Chief Executive Officer, The Care Worker's Charity
12. Kirsty McHugh, CEO, Carers Trust
13. Helen Walker, Chief Executive, Carers UK
14. John Cowman, Chief Executive, Chartered Society of Physiotherapy
15. Libby Herbert, CEO, Colostomy UK
16. Sally Tsoukaris, General Secretary, Civil Service Pensioners’ Alliance
17. Frances Lawrence, CEO, Dementia Carers Count
18. Dr Hilda Hayo, Chief Executive, Dementia UK
19. Anna Galliford, Chief Executive, FitzRoy
20. Steve Veevers, Chief Executive Officer, HFT
21. Toby Porter, Chief Executive, Hospice UK
22. Jane Townson, CEO, Homecare Association
23. Mark Henderson, CEO, Home Group
24. Ruth Owen OBE, Chief Executive, Leonard Cheshire
25. Jacqueline Cannon, CEO, The Lewy Body Society
26. Matthew Reed, Chief Executive, Marie Curie
27. Jackie O’Sullivan, Acting CEO, Mencap
28. Tanya Curry, CEO, Motor Neurone Disease Association
29. Nick Moberly, CEO, MS Society
30. Catherine Woodhead, Chief Executive Officer, Muscular Dystrophy UK
31. Karen Walker, CEO, Multiple System Atrophy Trust
32. Neel Radia, Chairman, National Association of Care Catering
33. Caroline Stevens, Chief Executive, National Autistic Society
34. Professor Vic Rayner OBE, CEO, National Care Forum
35. Kate Henderson, Chief Executive, National Housing Federation
36. Jacob Lant, CEO, National Voices
37. Georgina Carr, Chief Executive, The Neurological Alliance
38. Sarah Miller, Chief Executive, Papworth Trust
39. Caroline Rassell, Chief Executive, Parkinson's UK
40. Rachel Power, Chief Executive, Patients Association
41. Rebecca Packwood, Chief Executive, PSP Association
42. Helen Wildbore, Director, Care Rights UK
43. Mark Atkinson, Director General, Royal British Legion
44. Matt Stringer, Chief Executive Officer, Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB)
45. Richard Kramer, CEO, Sense
46. Peter Beresford, Co-Chair, Shaping Our Lives
47. Kate Steele, CEO, Shine
48. Nik Hartley OBE, Chief Executive, Spinal Injuries Association
49. Jonathan Senker, CEO, VoiceAbility
50. Diane Lightfoot, CEO, Business Disability Forum
51. Rhidian Hughes, CEO, Voluntary Organisations Disability Group (VODG)
52. Neil Riley, Chairman of Trustees, The ME Association
53. Dr Mary-Ann Stephenson, Director, Women's Budget Group
54. Donna Covey CBE, Interim CEO, The Advocacy Project

Full letter below:

Dear Party Leader,

Show Us You Care. We’re writing to you to say for social care it’s time for actions, not just words.

Good care supports people to live their lives. To get up and out, work, see the people they love, be independent as long as possible. Yet currently, at least 2.6m people go without the care they need. Social care provision has slipped far below an acceptable level and is having very real consequences for millions of older and disabled people and their unpaid carers.

Promise that you will make change happen in the next Parliament, come up with sustainable funding and support the social care workforce. Millions of older and working aged disabled people and their carers desperately need a social care system that works, and a failure to act would be a betrayal.

The Care and Support Alliance of over 50 charities, and everyone who has joined this letter, agree that to make social care work for people, we need a government that:

1) Addresses the shortfall in current social care spending and puts in place a long-term funding commitment to meet current and future demand. Piecemeal pots of funding will not deliver the change, services or stability the sector and care users need.

2) Addresses the core issues facing the workforce, including pay, conditions, career development and skills recognition, as part of a new, fully funded social care workforce strategy.

3) Enables local authorities to tackle social care assessment and carer’s assessment waiting lists through enhanced dedicated funding.

4) Develops a new National Carers Strategy including investing in carers’ breaks, introducing paid carer’s leave, and urgently reviewing Carer’s Allowance and other social security benefits carers can claim.

5) Removes social care charging entirely for working-aged disabled adults so they don't have to part-fund their care from state benefits designed to pay for daily living costs, like food and heating.

If you are in the privileged position of leading the next government you could transform the lives of millions of older and disabled people and their carers. You could ensure our care workforce is recognised and valued.

It's time for actions, not words: please Show Us You Care - commit to reform social care once and for all.