Help with care costs to be reduced
Published on 23 October 2013 11:30 AM
New plans drawn up for the care system will see hundreds of thousands of older and disabled people who need help with basic tasks receive no financial assistance.
The Care and Support Alliance (CSA) reports that even individuals who need help washing or dressing will not be given any financial support under the proposals.
The Coalition pledged the plans would limit the costs of care for everyone, but a new new analysis of London School of Economics (LSE) research by the CSA, which represents 75 leading organisations and charities including Age UK, reveals this comes at a heavy price.
It claims at least 340,000 vulnerable people who rely on home helps will no longer receive any support.
Support only for people with ‘substantial' or ‘critical' needs
The Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats have promised to cap total costs of care at £72,000 in order to limit spiralling bills for thousands of families with relatives in care homes and those receiving regular care in their own homes.
However, the small print of the plans discloses that state financial support after that point will only be provided if a person is assessed to have 'substantial' or 'critical' needs.
This means that vulnerable people will only get financial support for care if they are deemed to be at risk of neglect, or even death, without it.
Those with 'moderate' requirements - the category which covers those who need regular help to do basic personal tasks such as washing and dressing - will therefore be offered no financial support whatsoever
'Hundreds and thousands of older people and their families who have assumed they will benefit from the Government's social care reforms will be shocked and deeply disappointed to find they may not receive much help, or any help at all,' commented Caroline Abrahams, Charity Director at Age UK.
'If a new system continues to exclude older people with moderate needs then the situation will become even more desperate as it means that if you need help with basic everyday tasks such as washing, dressing and cleaning your teeth you will not receive help.'
The analysis of the Coalition's plans by the London School of Economic estimates that just 22,000 people a year will benefit from the cap, which is due to be introduced from 2016 onwards.
Copyright Press Association 2013