There is a lot that a Commission can do as a “think-tank” and the Social Care Commission is a supercharged think-tank which can be highly influential. But right now the crisis in the social care sector has been brought about by a lack of finance for care. The House of Lords is another think tank but it has more power to shape policy as it is part of the process.
Baroness Altman is one of the most strident of the peers, working alongside those who are concerned with the care most particularly for old people but those afflicted in younger years too.
I am pleased to see her shooting from the hip at the LGPS surplus. Here she talks with Jonathan Stapleton in Professional Pensions. I hope Ros gets support for this idea in the lower house and most particularly from Andy Burnham. I have said before that a local government strategy means working with the Local Government Pension,
Ros Altmann: LGPS pensions can help fund social care
21 August 2026•“It is time to harness the benefits of pensions to improve people’s lives”
Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS) surpluses justify diverting employer contributions to fund local services such as social care, former pensions minister Baroness Ros Altmann says.
Altmann said that, despite this, councils currently plan to pay around 20% of council tax receipts into their pension funds as contributions.
She said local authorities should stop “wasting” council tax on pension contributions and use the money for social care instead, as funding for which mostly falls on councils.
“The prime minister has promised to address the social care crisis, and has asked Baroness Casey to recommend long-term solutions, but she will not report before next year and money will need to be found to fund an improved system.
“In the meantime, however, council pension contributions could be diverted for the next couple of years. A significant part of the care crisis is that the system has been woefully underfunded for years. Pensions could ride to the rescue for now, to help relieve so much family misery resulting from councils cutting care provision.”
Altmann added:
“While many vulnerable, disabled or elderly residents are struggling to get the care they need from their local authority, councils are spending millions on pension contributions. Local services are being cut, libraries are closing, potholes are growing and large rises in council taxes are being proposed. This is not what people should be paying council tax for.
“Instead of putting more money into these pension schemes which already have more than they need, I suggest councils could take contribution holidays for the next two or three years.”
Altmann said that, while most councils are planning to cut contributions, there is room to pause them completely for at least a couple of years – “radical change” she said could ensure taxpayer money is much better used and can also take the pressure off council tax increases.
She cited Manchester as one example – noting it pays over £50m a year into the LGPS while the Greater Manchester Pension Fund has a £5bn surplus.
Altmann continued:
“This is the picture across Britain. It is time to harness the benefits of pensions to improve people’s lives. Pensions should be about people, not just about money and after years of huge contributions, now is the time to regain some freedom.”
She added:
“Increasing sources of funding for social care will not be an easy decision, but money could be available straight away if the political will is there”.
The problem for younger people in and leaving care
It is not just a pension matter – those who are in care and then leave it are ill prepared for life outside. This article is emphasising the immediate need for help in caring
I disapprove of stealing pensions from Peter to pay for Paul’s “care”. But if the experiment is to be tried it’s best to start with Peter being Local Government sloths.