Politics · United Kingdom · 2 hrs ago
Louise Casey faces questions over who should pay for social care in England
Louise Casey, who leads England’s social care commission, visited Millvina House in Anfield, Liverpool, to see conditions for residents with advanced dementia.
She has also visited people receiving care at home and said she was deeply shocked by the lack of help some people receive.
At Millvina, inspectors had found serious care failures, and Liverpool council took over the home in September 2025 to prevent its 60 beds from being lost.
Casey argues that care funded by public money should mainly be publicly run, rather than operated for private profit.
But the council says Millvina costs more to run to a better standard, while private providers face pressure to cut costs.
The wider challenge is how to fund better care, including for people who cannot afford more help and services that rely on wealthier residents paying more.
Casey’s commission is examining social care in England, with who should pay for it still a central question.
Louise Casey, who is heading the commission on social care in England, is confronting questions about how care should be funded and provided.
During a visit to a Liverpool care home, Casey saw residents with advanced dementia and heard about people receiving too little care at home.
She said care workers are poorly paid and argued that publicly funded care should mainly be publicly run.
Liverpool city council took over Millvina House in 2025 after concerns that its collapse could cost the city 60 care beds.
- Who
- Louise Casey, who is heading the commission on social care in England.
- What
- Casey is confronting difficult choices about social care, including who should pay and how care should be provided.
- When
- The article was published on 13 October 2026; Casey visited Millvina House the previous week.
- Where
- England, including Millvina House in Anfield, Liverpool.
- Why
- Casey’s visits exposed poor standards, unmet care needs and low pay for care workers.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
Liverpool city council gained interim control of Millvina House.
Liverpool city council officially took over Millvina House.
Casey visited Millvina House in Liverpool.
The Guardian published its article about the choices Casey faces on social care.
- Commission head
- Louise Casey
- Care home
- Millvina House, Anfield, Liverpool
- Council takeover
- September 2025
- Beds at risk
- 60
- Care beds lost in Liverpool
- 187 in the previous two years
What people are saying
If it’s public money, it should mainly be publicly run.
People don’t want to know, but if you are born, you will die. Chances are you will need care, and dementia is the biggest killer.
He couldn’t afford more care, so he’d just cut their visits by half.
Sources
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