The phasing in of the National Health Service reforms over two years from April 1991 to 1993 has a number of implications. The uncertain climate which has long surrounded community care will be protracted, and financial pressures will increase as the demand driven social security budget continues to rise. The implications for community care of such events are potentially very significant, as are more immediate decisions about expenditure for next year. Bringing forward the social security changes to April 1992 in conjunction with the new organisational infrastructure which is to be in place by that date has a clear appeal. It would remove the uncertainty about the longer term future, and provide a real opportunity for central and local agencies to break out of the stop-go cycle into which community care has been locked for too long.