Government consults on changes to bursaries for social work students

The government has launched a consultation on proposed changes to financial support for social work students, aimed at targeting help more closely at those with the greatest need and improving access to the profession.

The review will examine how the Social Work Bursary (SWB) and the Education Support Grant (ESG) are used, with ministers seeking views from universities, students, employers, local authorities and NHS trusts. Together, the two funding streams provide around £50m a year to support students undertaking social work training.

The Social Work Bursary has been available since 2003, but uptake has fallen in recent years. In 2024–25, around 1,500 of the 4,000 bursaries on offer went unclaimed. The government says the consultation will explore how support can be better targeted, particularly towards students from low-income backgrounds, in order to remove barriers to entering the profession.

Currently, undergraduate social work students can receive around £4,900 through the bursary, while postgraduates may receive around £11,300. The Education Support Grant helps cover the costs of practice placements, where students gain hands-on experience. Unlike student loans, the funding does not need to be repaid.

Stephen Kinnock, Minister of State for Care, said the consultation was intended to ensure financial support reached those who needed it most and helped strengthen the future workforce. He linked the proposals to wider reforms in adult social care, including the recently announced Fair Pay Agreement for care workers and plans to improve training and career progression across the sector.

Chief Social Worker for Adults Sarah McClinton and Chief Social Worker for Children and Families Isabelle Trowler said the consultation would gather views from across the profession on how the bursary and grant could best support high-quality students and contribute to long-term careers in social work.

The Department of Health and Social Care said social workers would play a key role in its longer-term plans to shift more care from hospitals into community settings, as part of wider health and social care reforms.

The consultation will run for eight weeks and closes on 7 April 2026. Responses can be submitted online through the government website.