A Welsh national social care service is not expected to be in place before the next Senedd election, with deputy minister for social care Delyth Jewell saying the project will not be completed during the current term. Speaking at the National Eisteddfod, Jewell said the aim is to move Wales toward a more genuinely national system, but not to deliver the full model before 2030.
The comments are a setback for hopes of a faster shift to free social care at the point of use, an idea backed by Plaid Cymru in its 2026 Senedd election manifesto. The party has said social care, like healthcare, should be available without direct charges to everyone who needs it. Jewell described a national social care service as a major priority, but she also said it would not happen overnight.
In practical terms, social care in Wales is still paid for through a means-tested system. Costs are covered either by the resident or by the local authority, and the system is overseen by the Welsh government and carried out by Welsh councils. That makes reform a major policy question for ministers, because any move toward a national service would need to change how care is funded and delivered across the country.
Jewell said the immediate focus is on making the existing system work more efficiently. Asked whether the Welsh government would use its limited tax-raising powers to help fund a national service, she pointed instead to better use of current spending. Her remarks suggest ministers are preparing for a gradual process rather than a quick policy break.
The timing also matters because of developments across the border. The new UK prime minister, Andy Burnham, used a speech last week to open a national conversation on adult social care in England. He said difficult decisions would be needed on funding reform if social care is to be transformed, and he did not rule out tax rises when he spoke at the end of July.
