The government has launched a new consultation aimed at reshaping financial support for social work students, with a focus on directing help to those who need
it most and removing barriers to entering the profession.
Under the proposals, aspiring social workers—particularly those from low-income backgrounds—could receive more targeted financial assistance to help them train and build long-term careers in a sector that supports some of the most vulnerable people in society.
The consultation reviews how two existing funding schemes—the Social Work Bursary (SWB) and the Education Support Grant (ESG)—are working and how they could be improved. Together, the schemes provide around £50 million each year to support social work students in England and have been in place since 2003.
Despite this investment, uptake has fallen. In the 2024–25 academic year, around 1,500 bursaries went unclaimed, out of approximately 4,000 available. The government says this signals a need to better target support and ensure funding reaches students who face the greatest financial pressure.
Breaking down barriers into social work
Ministers say the proposed changes are part of a wider effort to strengthen the social care workforce and improve access to careers in social work, which plays a crucial role in supporting children and families, older people, and individuals with learning disabilities or mental health needs.
Minister of State for Care Stephen Kinnock said: “I hugely value the thousands of social workers across the country who care for the vulnerable people in our society.
This consultation will make sure that support is targeted to the social work students that need it most. Ultimately, this will bolster our workforce with aspiring and hardworking, compassionate social workers.
We are on the road to transforming adult social care careers by launching the Fair Pay Agreement for care workers, the first ever universal career structure and improved training and qualifications. This is a further step as we build a National Care Service and work with the sector to deliver the workforce it needs”.
The consultation will gather views from universities, current and prospective social work students, qualified social workers, local authorities and NHS trusts. The aim is to ensure the funding system attracts high-quality candidates and supports them throughout their education and into professional practice.
Chief Social Worker for Adults Sarah McClinton and Chief Social Worker for Children and Families Isabelle Trowler said: “This consultation is vital to understand views from across the profession, including current and future students, higher education institutes and employers on how the Social Work Bursary and Education Support Grant can best support high-quality students into social work education and ultimately help them have long and rewarding careers in social work”.
What support is currently available?
At present, the Social Work Bursary provides:
- Around £4,900 per year for eligible undergraduate students
- Around £11,300 for postgraduate students
The Education Support Grant helps cover the cost of practice placements, where students gain essential hands-on experience. Unlike student loans, neither bursaries nor grants need to be repaid.
Supporting care closer to home
The consultation also links to the government’s 10 Year Health Plan, which aims to shift more care from hospitals into local communities. Social workers are expected to play a key role in this transition through Neighbourhood Health Services, working alongside health professionals to deliver joined-up care closer to where people live.
The consultation will run for eight weeks and closes on 7 April 2026. Responses can be submitted online via the GOV.UK website.