Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to help ensure that social care reform tackles barriers faced by (a) disabled people with complex needs and (b) deafblind people.

The Government is taking forward a package of reforms to enable more people to live independently for longer, including older adults, disabled people, and those with complex needs. For example, in 2025/26, we are providing up to £3.7 billion of additional funding for social care authorities, including an £880 million increase in the Social Care Grant.

We are also providing £172 million across this and the last financial year, for approximately 15,000 home adaptations, and are introducing new national standards and trusted guidance for care technologies such as remote monitoring. In addition, to strengthen the workforce, we are legislating for the first ever Fair Pay Agreement for care workers and are providing a £2,000 uplift to the Carer’s Allowance.

We have also launched an independent commission into adult social care as part of our critical first steps towards delivering a National Care Service. The commission will work with people who draw on care and support, their families, staff, and the wider sector to build a system that meets the current and future needs of our population. These improvements will help support the quality of adult social care for all who draw on it, including disabled people with complex needs and deafblind people.