The report published on 5 May argued that ‘time and again, Governments have stepped back from reform when faced with the cost'. 

The MPs' letter states ‘having rejected the committee's recommendations to commission research to quantify the cost of inaction, how confident is the Government that it can build a long-term case for reform amongst the public and politicians that ensures the success of any reform recommended by Baroness Casey, without such research?'.

In addition, the secretary of state is asked to provide a specific deadline for the Government's approach to the Better Care Fund for 2026 and beyond and whether the Government has rejected the committee's recommendations to collect data about care workers receiving Universal Credit and to publish an assessment of unmet need. 

The letter also questions the Government's approach to local government funding and asks what impact the recently launched consultation on the Fair Funding Review 2.0, will have on local authorities' adult social care budgets. 

Acting chair of the Health and Social Care Committee, Paulette Hamilton, said: ‘Our committee's report found that the lack of action on social care has been costing individuals, local authorities, the NHS and the economy. We called on the Government to fully consider the human and financial costs of inaction.  

‘I am grateful for the Government's response to our report but have written back to the secretary of state to request clarity on a number of points which we feel have not been fully addressed and to seek confirmation on whether the Government has in fact accepted or rejected some of our recommendations.  

‘The Government's response to our report in many cases defers decisions and actions on our recommendations to Casey. We look forward to the Casey Commission setting out its proposals for reform and emphasise that it is vital that we see concrete reform coming out of the Commission that actually improves the current state of affairs on social care.'