Green Paper on funding older people’s social care opens the door for a shift to a ‘co-payment’ system

1 November 2007 | Website team, Caring Choices

The question of how best to fund the care and support of older people is now back on the political agenda following the recent announcement by the government of a planned Green Paper identifying the key issues and options for reform of the current system in England. The sixth Caring Choices event, in Taunton, took place against this backdrop, with a sense of cautious optimism that it may be possible to influence the direction of future policy. The event, on 23 October 2007, was attended by more than 60 people with experience of social care, including service users, carers, providers, funders and commissioners.

As at previous Caring Choices events, almost everyone wanted the current means-tested social care system replaced but there was an acceptance that the financial responsibility for providing such care lies jointly with the individual/family and the state. More than 80 per cent of participants said that they would prefer a change to a ‘co-payment’ funding system, where all dependent older people would receive some support towards their care costs regardless of their income/assets, while also making a private contribution that was affordable for them.

There were repeated calls for the political parties to reach a consensus about reform. One panel member said: ‘We need an architecture for long-term care which is signed up to by all parties and the public and providers. People need a level playing field and a basis for rational decision at a time when they decide to save.’ Reform of the funding system, however, is no substitute for an increase in public spending on older people’s care, said participants.

There was agreement that reform must define ‘basic needs’ widely enough to preserve an individual’s dignity and that of their unpaid carers. Older people must have choice, regardless of their level of income/wealth, and any system should also consider preventative services and non-personal care needs, rather than only focusing narrowly on personal care services.

Read the full report from the Taunton event

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There is one comment on “Green Paper on funding older people’s social care opens the door for a shift to a ‘co-payment’ system”

  1. David Blackburn says:
    January 7th, 2008 at 6:51 pm

    As a pensioner, who has held 5 powers of attorney,I believe the authorities are missing a trick, by taking pensioners total capital over time to pay for RCH/Private nursing home fees.
    What the government should do is issue a capital bond, tax free,at a fair rate of interest, undex linked, in these situations repayable on death to the estate. Only the income generated would be taken towards the fees.
    That would make avoidance schemes largely unprofitable, and give the government a second bite of the chery, in many cases as the lump sum passes down the line, often from pensioner tp pensioner.
    It would also provide the government with a reasonably cheap form of borrowing within this country,instead of from the foreign currency markets.
    It would also allow thrifty hard working pensioners some dignity in retaining their savings to will to beneficiaries of their choice.
    This way everybody gains.