Members’ April policy update
Your go-to roundup of public policy developments this month.
UK-wide
The National Insurance Contributions (Secondary Class 1 Contributions) Act 2025
On 3 April 2025, the National Insurance Contributions Act, which increases the rate of employer National Insurance Contributions (ENICs) from 13.8% to 15%, gained royal assent. The provisions of the Act took effect on 6 April 2025.
While amendments proposed in the House of Lords sought to exempt NHS and care providers, including hospices from the rise, these amendments were ultimately voted down by MPs in the House of Commons.
Spring Statement 2025: Changes to welfare benefits and open consultation on health and disability benefits reform
In her Spring Statement on Wednesday 26 March, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rachel Reeves announced that the UK Government has decided to freeze the Universal Credit (UC) health element for existing claimants until 2029/30. For new claims, it will be reduced to £50 a week in 2026/27 and then frozen until 2029/30. This follows a proposal announced previously to delay access to the UC health element until the age of 22.
Alongside these changes, the Government has published its impact assessment of the proposed welfare reforms. It estimates that, by 2029/30, the reforms will result in an additional 250,000 people, including 50,000 children, living in relative poverty after housing costs, compared to baseline projections. These impacts will be felt across the UK.
Additionally, the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has launched a public consultation on its Green Paper Pathways to Work: Reforming Benefits and Support to Get Britain Working, open until 30 June 2025. You can respond here.
Through this consultation, the DWP is especially keen to hear from disabled people, those with health conditions, and organisations that support them across England, Scotland and Wales. While social security is devolved in Northern Ireland, responses are still welcome and will be shared with the Department for Communities.
England and Wales
Consultation on financial thresholds in charity law
The Department for Culture, Media and Sport has launched a new consultation seeking views on whether financial thresholds in charity law should be increased in line with inflation.
This follows a recommendation from the Law Commission’s 2017 report ‘Technical Issues in Charity Law’, which advised that thresholds in the Charities Act 2011 should be reviewed regularly. The government has committed to conducting such a review at least every 10 years, subject to resources.
The consultation is open until 11:45pm on 12 June 2025. You can respond online here.
Help us improve the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill
On 25 April 2025, the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill will return to the whole House of Commons for its report stage. Key changes made during the committee stage include replacing High Court sign-off with a panel of experts (including a psychiatrist and social worker) and extending the implementation deadline to 2029.
While the Bill’s focus is on adults, we are concerned about its potential implications for seriously ill children, young people, their families, and the professionals and services who support them.
To this end, we have prepared a series of amendments to make the Bill safer for young terminally ill adults, and to ensure families and professionals are equipped with the skills and guidance needed for difficult end of life conversations if assisted death is available.
With the report stage approaching, now is the time to act. Please write to your MP and ask them to table our amendments. You can do this here.
England
NHS 10-Year Plan and multi-year Spending Review
The UK Government is continuing to consult on a new 10-year plan for the NHS in England, which will set out a long-term vision for the health service.
While the organisational consultation has now closed, there are still a number of ways for professionals and members of the public to get involved on the Change NHS platform.
The final plan is expected to be published in June 2025, alongside the completion of a multi-year Spending Review. This Spending Review will set government spending plans for at least three years of the five-year forecast period.
Government review of visiting rights in care settings to begin April 2025
The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) has confirmed that it will review the effectiveness of CQC Regulation 9A: Visiting and accompanying in care homes, hospitals and hospices from April 2025—one year on from the regulation coming into force.
Regulation 9A recognises that visiting is a vital part of a person’s care and wellbeing. It requires providers to enable visiting unless there are exceptional circumstances—such as where visits would pose a significant risk to the health, safety or wellbeing of people on the premises.
Once the review is launched, a survey will be shared inviting views on what has worked well, and any challenges faced in implementing the regulation.
In the meantime, if you have any questions, these can be directed to the DHSC team at: visiting@dhsc.gov.uk.
Northern Ireland
Progress on Baby Loss Certificate Scheme in Northern Ireland
On 25 March 2025, the Finance Minister, John O’Dowd, and the Health Minister, Mike Nesbitt welcomed the initial steps that have been taken to introduce a Baby Loss Certificate Scheme in Northern Ireland.
The Deaths, Still-Births and Baby Loss Bill has now been formally introduced to the Northern Ireland Assembly. Under current legislation, only the death of a baby after 24 weeks of pregnancy is officially recognised. However, under the new scheme, parents who experience a loss before 24 weeks will be allowed to receive formal recognition of their baby’s life.
This development comes as over 100,000 baby loss certificates have now been issued in England.
Wales
Welsh Government announces additional £5.5 million of funding for hospices
Last week, the Welsh Government announced that they would provide additional funding worth £5.5 million to support Wales’ 12 commissioned hospices, including the two children’s hospices.
The one-off cash injection, which is in addition to the £3 million uplift in recurrent funding announced in the 2025/26 budget, will help the children’s hospices manage growing financial pressures and cover some of the historic rising costs of their care workforce.
As the number of children with life-limiting conditions, and the cost of recruiting and retaining skilled staff continues to rise, it is vital that Welsh ministers now work with Tŷ Hafan and Tŷ Gobaith to put children’s hospice care in Wales on a sustainable financial footing for the future.