Care costs in England are "broken". Here is what that means for your family, and how to have your say

    By David Hall, founder, AirCarers Companion

    Published

    This week brought two pieces of news that matter to every family supporting an older relative at home.

    On 21 September the Joseph Rowntree Foundation (JRF) published a briefing titled "Failing us all: England's social care charging system is broken". A day later, the independent Casey Commission on adult social care confirmed it had started writing to thousands of households, inviting them to join a new Public Panel on Care.

    I started AirCarers Companion after supporting my own dad through dementia, so I read news like this as a son first. Here is what it says, and what it means for families in East Herts.

    What the research found

    JRF finds that of the 12 million older people in England, a third have a social care need, and that 1 in 7 older people using social care face lifetime costs of over £100,000. Its central point is that the system is "unfair, expensive to use and does little to protect the economically insecure". What someone pays depends heavily on whether they own a home and who they live with, while their income makes surprisingly little difference. Even people who receive the most state support still pay around £9,000 a year on average towards care home fees.

    The means test has not moved in a long time either. The upper savings threshold of £23,250 has been frozen for 16 years.

    Reform is coming, but not yet

    In July the Prime Minister, Andy Burnham, committed to reforming adult social care and building a National Care Service. The government says the Casey Commission's work "will now be accelerated, delivering its report by summer 2027". The Commission's public engagement exercise, the Big Conversation on Care, runs until April 2027, and the new Public Panel of around 125 people is part of it.

    That is welcome. It also means that for at least the next year, families will be working with the system as it is today.

    The gap nobody funds

    Most older people do not go from "fine" to "needs a care package" overnight. First the house gets quieter. Meals get skipped, trips out stop, and confidence drops after a fall or a spell in hospital. None of that usually qualifies for council-funded care, so families fill the gap, often while working and raising children of their own.

    That gap is growing. Hospitals are under pressure: in May 2026 there were more than 90,000 recorded instances of corridor care in England, about 2,900 patients a day. NHS England's winter guidance asks hospitals and councils to plan discharge together and cut bed occupancy before Christmas. More people will be coming home sooner, and what happens in the weeks after they get home matters. Our guide to Coming home after hospital covers the practical side.

    What you can do now

    • Ask for a needs assessment. Anyone who appears to need care and support can ask Hertfordshire County Council for one, whatever their savings. It is free.
    • Ask for a carer's assessment if you support someone. You are entitled to one in your own right.
    • Check Attendance Allowance. It is not means tested and is paid to people over State Pension age who need help because of an illness or disability.
    • Register as a carer on the NHS App so health professionals know your role.
    • Keep routine and company going. Regular contact, a reason to get dressed and go out, and someone who notices when things change are among the simplest ways to help someone stay well at home. If family cannot be there every day, plan who else can be.
    • If someone you love is in A&E and seems to be getting worse, ask about Martha's Rule. It is being extended to all A&E departments in England.
    • If a Public Panel letter arrives, consider registering. Lived experience is exactly what the Commission wants to hear.

    Where we fit

    That gap is what we mean by help before care. Our companions are local people who visit regularly for conversation, a walk, a trip to the shops or a cup of tea. We are not a CQC-registered care agency and we do not provide personal or clinical care. What we offer is company, routine and a friendly face, and peace of mind for families between their own visits.

    If someone is coming home from hospital, a companion can travel home with them, pick up a few essentials, make sure the house is comfortable and stay for company while they settle in. Our hospital discharge support page explains how it works.

    We cover Ware, Hertford, Hoddesdon, Broxbourne, Bishop's Stortford and Sawbridgeworth, with visits from £25 an hour. If you would like to talk it through, call 07455 750006 or email lucie@aircarers.co.uk.

    Other guides families ask about

    Sources

    This article is general information, not legal, financial or medical advice.