Archbishop of York calls for Govt action on care

Dr John Sentamu, the Archbishop of York, has used a newspaper article to urge the Coalition Government to clarify how they will fund the measures suggested in their Social Care White Paper in July.

Writing in today's Daily Mail, the Archbishop says: 'We need to help people prepare and plan for their old age, without the fear that they will be left with nothing.

'A well-funded system, that will deliver high quality standards of care, must be put in place.'

Social Care White Paper

In July, the Government published their long-anticipated White Paper outlining a number of measures that Age UK is broadly in favour of.

These measures included better assessment and support for carers and introduction of a National Eligibility Criteria by 2015, which should, in principle, introduce minimum care standards.

However, the major omission was how social care will be funded in the future.

As Dr John Sentamu says: 'We need to help people prepare and plan for their old age, without the fear that they will be left with nothing. A well-funded system, that will deliver high quality standards of care, must be put in place.'

Dilnot Commission

The Government funded a commission to look into this very issue - headed by the economist Andrew Dilnot - which recommended a cap on the lifetime costs of care.

However, since the Dilnot Commission reported back in July 2011, nothing further has been done.

'The legacy of this Government'

In a strongly-worded conclusion to his article, the Archbishop makes it clear how he sees what happens next.

'I am firmly of the opinion that the funding of social care will define the legacy of this Government.

'It is a decision we will look back on in years to come and say, when times were tough, did our politicians deliver for the greater good - or did they simply hide in the long grass?'

'For me, the choice may be difficult but it is also obvious.'