Yesterday’s Budget was one many of us in social care hoped would finally bring clarity, support and a real plan for the future. We went into it hoping that this time, the people who hold the system together - carers, families and providers - would finally be acknowledged.

Yesterday morning, our Managing Director, Shweta Dowlot-Maulayah, was live on BBC Kent Radio talking about what our sector is facing right now. She then joined a Budget focus group with other business leaders to watch the announcement and share honest reactions straight after.

And truthfully… the Budget left us disappointed.

Social care barely made it into the conversation.
No plan for the workforce.
No recognition of the pressure providers are under.
No support for the carers who show up for people day in, day out.

Yet anyone working in care knows the reality.

The workforce crisis is still the biggest challenge

You cannot deliver safe, quality care without people - and right now, attracting and keeping carers is harder than ever.

• Local authority rates don’t reflect the true cost of care
• Carers are taking on more responsibility without fair pay
• Providers are trying to cope with rising costs and minimal uplift
• Burnout and stress are becoming the norm

We cannot fix this sector without fixing fair cost of care.

You cannot strengthen the NHS without strengthening social care

The Budget announced more money for the NHS - but left social care on the sidelines.

Hospitals remain full because the support at home is underfunded.
Delayed discharges continue because community care is stretched.
Families struggle because they simply cannot access what they need.

The NHS relies on social care.
Ignoring one while investing in the other will never work.

Social care is not a burden - it is the backbone of communities

At MAUCARE, we see this every single day:

• People living safely and independently at home
• Families able to continue working
• Reduced pressure on hospitals
• Carers making real impact in people’s lives

This is not a cost.
It is an essential part of society.

Where MAUCARE stands

Yesterday, Shweta made sure social care had a voice - both on BBC Kent Radio and within the Budget focus group. And we will continue to speak up.

MAUCARE will keep pushing for:

• Fair cost of care
• Fair wages and respect for carers
• Long-term investment, not short-term patches
• Proper recognition of the sector’s value
• Real, meaningful reform

We won’t stay silent.
Not when our carers, our families and our community deserve better than this.

Our message remains clear

Social care is essential.
Social care is skilled.
Social care is human.
And social care must be valued properly.

MAUCARE will keep advocating, keep challenging and keep standing up for the people who rely on us - and for the people who care for them.