Archbishop of Canterbury slams government for 'broken' welfare system

In his New Year's message, the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Very Reverend Justin Welby, warned that care homes are struggling to cope with rising energy bills while struggling to hold on to vital staff

Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby (

Image: PA)

The Archbishop of Canterbury has called for action to fix Britain's 'broken' welfare system.

In his New Year's message, the Very Reverend Justin Welby warned that care homes are "struggling" to keep up with rising bills while struggling to retain staff.

He urged the government to 'rise to the challenge' of fixing the system in crisis after ministers repeatedly dismissed the issue in the long grass.

Long-awaited plans to overhaul the care sector have been delayed for another two years by the government - despite a 2019 Tory manifesto promise to 'fix' social care.

Chancellor Jeremy Hunt announced in the autumn statement that the lifetime cap of £86,000 on the amount payable for care has been pushed back to 2025.

It was due to come into force from October 2023, leaving frail Britons now facing paying more for social care for longer.

Nursing homes are struggling with increased bills and staff (

Picture:

Getty Images)

Mr. Welby, who is set to publish a "meaningful report" on welfare, along with the Archbishop of York, Archbishop Stephen Cottrell, raised the issue in his New Year message.

"We know our healthcare system is broken, but we don't have to. We can rise to the challenge of fixing it," he said.

"It means we all take action: you, me, families, communities, government."

Mr. Welby stressed the importance of ensuring that the work of caregivers is properly valued by society.

"Why work as a caregiver when you could be paid more in less demanding jobs? Caring is definitely not easy. Good caregivers are great people to value," he said.

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He said his report had to come out in a f...