Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the minimum wage rise on the cost of care home places for (a) those that are self funding and (b) local authorities that fund residents in care homes.

The Department regularly makes assessments of the cost pressures facing adult social care. These assessments take into account a wide range of factors, including changes to the National Minimum Wage and the impact that may have on local authorities funding residents in care homes.

The Spending Review allows for an increase of over £4 billion of funding available for adult social care in 2028/29 compared to 2025/26, to support the sector in making improvements.