The Government recognises that urgent reform of the social care system is needed to provide much more control to individuals and their carers, and to ease the cost burden that they and their families face. This is one of the biggest challenges faced by society today.

The Government will establish an independent Commission to consider how we ensure responsible and sustainable funding for long-term care. It will ensure that there is a fair partnership between the state and the individual, which takes into account the vital role of families and carers. The commission will report within a year.

The Government will also take decisive steps to accelerate the pace of reform so that older people and disabled people get the care they need and have more choice and control over how their needs are met. The Government will take steps to accelerate the pace of reform so that older people and disabled people get the care they need, ensuring:

•services are personalised to individual needs, with personal budgets offered by all councils giving people choice and control over how their needs are met;

•preventative support is given to people when they most need it, such as after discharge from hospital, with health and social care working together to help people stay independent at home;

•carers are helped to provide care and support for friends and family members, with direct payments and other support for their own needs as well as those they care for.