Government urged to cut care costs
Published on 20 January 2012 01:30 PM
Local authority representatives have urged the Government to make sure older people have to pay no more than £50,000 for social care.
In a letter to The Daily Telegraph, the social services directors, who represent 41 councils, have stressed that ministers need to reform the system.
They said that the current 'unfair' regime puts the 'dignity' of older people at risk and must be changed.
Although the already-high cost of social care increases, they said this should be a 'spur to take action', not an excuse to hesitate, as funding needs rise at the same time.
The three regional adult social services leaders, covering the South, East and Midlands, have called for a cap on individual costs at £50,000. This is higher than the £35,000 that was originally put forward, but lower than the £60,000 cap suggested by a Department of Health working group.
The letter also urged the Government to implement the recommendation's of 2011's commission led by economist Andrew Dilnot 'as soon as possible'.
The three leaders of regional adult social services, representing the south, east and Midlands of England, say that the Government should implement "as soon as possible" the recommendations of last year's commission led by the economist Andrew Dilnot.
Care in Crisis
Age UK launched its Care in Crisis campaign last week, with an of getting the Government to urgently reform the social care system, so that older people get high-quality care and support.
Michelle Mitchell, Charity Director, commented on the introduction of a cap on costs of care.
"Age UK strongly supports putting a cap on the amount that any one person has to pay towards their social care.
"After wide consultation and in-depth analysis, the Dilnot Commission recommended a cap of £35,000 which Age UK believes would help people to plan for their care needs and provide the certainty that might encourage the financial services industry to introduce products that could help in that planning process.
"Inevitably any raising of the cap would mean that fewer people would be helped by the move and for many it could lessen the incentive to plan."
The local authorities were led by Graham Gibbens, Cabinet member for adult social care at Kent County Council, and wrote: 'The dignity of older people and of adults who need social care should not be at risk because a solution has not been put into place.
'Indeed, everyone, from the care sector to carers and from local government to older people, needs a solution to be agreed and put into practice as soon as possible.'
Copyright Press Association 2012