social care costs

Too little too late? Northamptonshire may well be the “canary” in the deep mine of local government finance. This article tells us:

Any new system of funding social care will be capped, Jeremy Hunt has confirmed, in his first policy speech since he took responsibility for social care reform in January. He also pledged to find new ways to support councils struggling to meet the demands of a rapidly ageing population in the green paper on social care due this summer.

Addressing a conference of social workers, the health and social care secretary said: “The way that our current charging system operates is far from fair. This is particularly true for families faced with the randomness and unpredictability of care, and the punitive consequences that come from developing certain conditions over others.

“If you develop dementia and require long-term residential care you are likely to have to use a significant chunk of your savings and the equity in your home to pay for that care. But if you require long-term treatment for cancer you won’t find anything like the same cost.”

Asked directly if that meant there would be a cap on what any individual had to pay, he replied: “Yes.”

At the last election the Tory manifesto provoked fury after it proposed making people meet all the costs of care until they had assets of less than £100,000. After a weekend of angry criticism, particularly from Tory candidates, Theresa May announced there would be a cap on the amount anyone would have to pay from their personal assets.

Hunt and the Treasury are under pressure from councils struggling to raise the money to meet the bill for social care. Many poorer areas cannot raise enough from council tax even at the higher levels now permitted.