The government has launched an independent commission to “transform social care” – but proposals for major reform may not be delivered for years.

The two-part commission will be led by Baroness Louise Casey, with the latter phase set to make its final recommendations for social care in England by the end of 2028.

Ministers announced the review, which will begin in April, as part of a wider package of support for the sector.

It includes more funding for elderly and disabled people to make home improvements, and training for care workers to perform health checks for patients in the home.

Friday’s announcement marks the first step towards a National Care Service, which was pledged by Labour in its general election manifesto.

Health Secretary Wes Streeting said work has “already begun on stabilising the care sector, investing in prevention, and in carers and care workers”.

He added: “The investment and reforms we’re announcing today will help to modernise social care, get it working more closely with the NHS, and help deliver our Plan for Change.

“But our ageing society, with costs of care set to double in the next 20 years, demands longer term action.

“The independent commission will work to build a national consensus around a new National Care Service able to meet the needs of older and disabled people into the 21st century.”

The commission will be split over two phases with the first, reporting to Prime Minister Keir Starmer in mid-2026, looking at the issues facing social care and recommending medium-term reforms.

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The second phase is expected by 2028 and will make recommendations for the longer term.

Baroness Casey said: “Millions of older people, disabled people, their families and carers rely upon an effective adult social care system to live their lives to the full, with independence and dignity.

“An independent commission is an opportunity to start a national conversation, find the solutions and build consensus on a long-term plan to fix the system. I am pleased the prime minister has asked me to lead this vital work.”

Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey, who is a loud advocate of social care reform, said the commission is “long overdue”.

He said: “2025 must be the year our politics finally rises to the challenge of fixing care – reforming social care and supporting family carers properly too.

“This social care review must be cross-party if it is to credibly stand the test of time and help save our NHS, so it’s disappointing that the government has failed even to consult on its remit.”

Sarah Woolnough, chief executive at The King’s Fund, welcomed the announcement, but urged the government to “accelerate the timing”.

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She said the “current timetable” to report by 2028 is “far too long to wait for people who need social care”.

Additional funding has also been committed to the Disabled Facilities Grant, which allows people to apply for funding to carry out work such as widening doors, improving access, installing ramps or stairlifts, or building an extension.

The £86m boost for this financial year is on top of the £86m announced at the budget for the next financial year and brings the annual total to £711m.

About 7,800 more elderly and disabled people could benefit, ministers estimate.

2024 was big year for Amazon – in addition to becoming the first online retailer for Hyundai cars, the company kept busy putting a fleet of autonomous forklifts, order picking AI-powered robots, and a milestone 20,000th electric delivery van on the road.

Let’s start with the vans. Amazon recently reached milestone putting its 20,000th, AI-enhanced delivery van onto US roads.

Amazon famously partnered with Rivian to develop those vans, pouring serious money into a concept that (at the time) was little more than a sketch. Less than three years later, the vans were on the road, delivering kitty litter with free, 2-day shipping to customers who can’t be bothered to drag themselves to Costco – and it’s hard to argue with the vans’ success.

Amazon EVs are everywhere

To date, Amazon vans from Rivian have delivered nearly a billion packages to customers in the US. Amazon plans to rollout 100,000+ delivery van fleet by 2030.

On the warehouse side, the autonomous forklift market is experiencing remarkable growth, and is projected to expand at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 11.4%, putting the self-driving forklift market at something like $12.5 billion by 2034 with the 2-4 ton segment making up about 53% of total revenue.

Like the Fox Robotics forklifts used at arch-rival Walmart’s warehouses, the autonomous forklifts in use at Amazon’s smart warehouses are equipped with advanced sensors to help them navigate the complex warehouse environments and perform critical tasks.

Despite the higher up-front costs of autonomous forklifts, they can offer companies like Amazon long-term benefits. As EV Magazine writes:

In Amazon’s fulfillment centers, autonomous forklifts play a key role in optimizing the flow of goods. By reducing the reliance on manual labour, they minimize human error, enhance precision in material handling and enable faster order processing … the forklifts operate continuously without breaks, increasing productivity and ensuring swift and efficient customer order fulfillment.

STELLA NOLAN, EV MAGAZINE

Amazon entered into a seven-year agreement with Balyo, a French company that manufactures autonomous forklifts based on Yale and Hyster models, back in 2019. At the time, Supply Chain Dive reported that the deal could be worth some $346 million and see the online retailer acquire 29% of the robotics firm’s stock.

Electrek’s Take

It seems strange to be discussing robotic forklifts just a few short weeks after reporting on VW and Audi threatening to shut down factories.

That said, we’re a long way from the days when Sam Walton would come on TV to talk about Walmart being the place to shop for “Made in America” products, too. But, while it’s easy enough to dismiss Amazon’s automation efforts as anti-labor, the reality is far more complicated as a nationwide operator shortage continues to impact logistics and construction.

SOURCES: EV Magazine, Supply Chain Dive, the Buzz, Market Research Future.

NEW ORLEANS — Riley Leonard passed for a touchdown, Jayden Harrison returned a kickoff 98 yards for a score and Notre Dame‘s defense made it hold up in a 23-10 victory over No. 2 Georgia in the College Football Playoff Quarterfinal at the Allstate Sugar Bowl on Thursday that sends the fifth-seeded Fighting Irish into the CFP semifinals.

In a game that was delayed by a day because of a deadly terror attack in the host city, Notre Dame (13-1) made enough big plays and got some help from a clever move by coach Marcus Freeman.

“Our coaches called the game aggressive. Our players executed, put everything on the line for this university and this football team,” Freeman said. “I’m really proud of them. Proud of the way they handled the events of the last 24 hours.”

Georgia (11-2) was in position to close within one score when Notre Dame stopped it on fourth-and-5 from the Irish 9-yard line with 9:29 to go.

Minutes later, Notre Dame had a fourth-and-short deep in its own territory when Freeman sent the punt team out before running all 11 players off the field and sending the offense out. Georgia raced to match up and then jumped offside as the play clock ticked down, giving the Irish a clock-sapping first down with 7:17 left.

“They were going to hard-count us. We prepare for that. We do it every week,” Georgia coach Kirby Smart said. “We jumped offsides.”

By the time the Bulldogs got the ball back, just 1:49 remained, and Notre Dame was well on its way to playing No. 5 Penn State (13-2, CFP No. 6 seed) in a semifinal at the Orange Bowl in Miami on Jan. 9.

“That’s the aggressiveness in terms of our preparation that I want our program to have,” Freeman said. “That’s got to be one of our edges, that we are going to be an aggressive group and not fear making mistakes.”

The Irish opened as a 1.5-point favorite over the Nittany Lions, according to ESPN BET, while Ohio State remains the favorite to win the CFP at +110.

Georgia entered the game without starting quarterback Carson Beck, who injured his right elbow in the Southeastern Conference championship game. He was replaced by Gunner Stockton, who was 20-of-32 for 234 yards and one touchdown.

The Bulldogs outgained Notre Dame 296 yards to 244, but Georgia was stopped on all three of its fourth-down attempts and lost two fumbles – one deep in Notre Dame territory and one inside its own 20.

“The turnovers are the difference in the game, guys,” Smart said. “I mean, you should know when you turn it over twice and they return a kickoff for a touchdown, you’re not going to have a lot of success.”

Leonard finished with 90 yards passing and a team-high 80 yards rushing, including a late first-down run in which he was sent head over heels as he tried to leap over a defender.

“We’re in the playoffs,” Leonard said. “Everybody else can put their body on the line, I’m going to do it right there with them.”

The game had been set for Wednesday night as part of a New Year’s Day playoff tripleheader, but it was postponed after an Army veteran inspired by the Islamic State group drove a pickup truck into a crowd on Bourbon Street early Wednesday, killing 14 revelers. Security was increased at the Superdome — which will also host the Super Bowl next month — and arriving fans said they felt safe.

With some fans unable to alter their travel plans, attendance in the 70,000-seat stadium was announced at 68,400. There were some patches of empty seats in the upper levels, but passionate supporters made no shortage of noise trying to will their teams into the next round of college football’s first 12-team playoff.

The score was tied at 3 before Notre Dame scored 17 points in a span of 54 seconds.

The unusual sequence began with Mitch Jeter‘s 48-yard field goal with 39 seconds left in first half.

Soon after, Georgia paid for an aggressive decision to attempt a dropback pass from its own 25. RJ Oben‘s blindside sack caused Stockton to fumble at the 13, where Irish defensive lineman Junior Tuihalamaka recovered. Leonard found Beaux Collins over the middle for a touchdown on the next play for a 13-3 lead that stood at halftime.

By the time 15 seconds had elapsed in the third quarter, Notre Dame led 20-3.

Harrison took Georgia’s second-half kickoff to the end zone, slipping a tackle near the middle of the field, cutting toward the right sideline and outrunning everyone.

Georgia closed the gap to 20-10 when Stockton hit reserve running back Cash Jones for a 32-yard score before Jeter’s third field goal of the game gave the Irish their winning margin.

Takeaways

Notre Dame: With a dominant defense and the dual-threat nature of Leonard’s playmaking, the Irish look dangerous heading into the semifinals.

Georgia: A team trying to win big games without its starting QB can’t afford big mistakes, and missed opportunities doomed coach Kirby Smart’s Bulldogs.

Up next

Notre Dame: The Irish resume a series with the Nittany Lions that is currently even at 9-9-1.

Georgia: The 2025 season opener will be at home against Marshall on Aug. 30.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.