Burnham pledges political capital to overhaul social care and benefits

Andy Burnham has pledged to deploy his political capital to overhaul England’s social care system, warning that the National Health Service faces effective collapse without rapid intervention. In his first full interview since becoming prime minister last week, Burnham argued that the health service is currently bearing the burden of caring for patients who do not require hospital-level treatment, a dynamic that hinders its ability to meet waiting time standards.

The prime minister acknowledged that establishing a completely new social care framework would take time, but insisted that major changes could be implemented before the next general election. He highlighted his personal motivation for tackling the issue, citing his father’s diagnosis with Alzheimer’s disease, and stated he would not leave office without introducing substantial reform to the neglected sector.

Burnham linked the social care crisis directly to NHS performance, noting that the current model costs the health service billions. He emphasised that restoring good waiting time standards is impossible until the pressure of non-hospital care is removed from the NHS, a task he described as critical to preventing systemic failure.

Beyond social care, Burnham announced plans to overhaul the wider benefits system, continuing reviews begun under former prime minister Keir Starmer. These initiatives include assessments of disability payments and studies on young people not in education, employment, or training. Burnham stressed the need for the country to “get really serious” about reducing the welfare bill.

He rejected the demonisation of benefit claimants, arguing that young people in their twenties have been let down by a lack of support rather than personal failings. Instead, he proposed making support conditional on taking up opportunities, with mental health assistance provided in the workplace to facilitate this transition.