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"Anxiety. I always feel like I'm on edge. COVID, cost-of-living crisis, finances, current living arrangement. The majority don't seem to care about COVID anymore and you can't just ignore it, people are still dying from it."

Cara, whose name has been changed, described these concerns in our research into the continuing effects of the pandemic on people with intellectual disabilities. Her account shows how concerns about infection became entangled with uncertainty about everyday life.

The UK COVID-19 Inquiry's care sector report, published on Oct. 20, 2026, focuses on how to improve support before another emergency. For people with intellectual disabilities, known as learning disabilities in the U.K., that requires attention to how people live and the different kinds of support they need and receive.

The report's first recommendation calls for pandemic planning at government, local and provider levels. But the formal recommendations are framed mainly in relation to care homes for older people and leave important details unspecified about how those plans should meet the needs of people with intellectual disabilities.

Our expert report to the inquiry, developed with input from people with intellectual disabilities and families, proposed more explicit commitments. These provide a starting point for addressing those gaps.

People with intellectual disabilities have varied support needs. Our expert report describes how most provision extends beyond residential care, including support for people living with family or in their own homes.

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