By Vivienne Russell
The government came under pressure this week to take urgent action to make the social care system fairer and more sustainable.
The government came under pressure this week to take urgent action to make the social care system fairer and more sustainable.A report from the Joseph Rowntree Foundation charity, published on March 4, outlined four costed reforms the government could introduce now, ahead of the long-awaited green paper. These interim solutions would alleviate some of the pressures on the social care system and make a big difference to the quality of life of many older people and their carers, the foundation claims.
Sue Collins, principal policy and public affairs manager at the JRF, told Public Finance: ‘We’re saying: here’s a package of immediate reforms. If you did these four things straight away, you would immediately put the care system on a fairer footing.’
The proposals are: action to encourage greater take-up of home equity release; raising the capital limit that allows individuals in care homes to receive support from their local authority from £22,250 to £42,500; doubling the weekly £21.90 allowance given to care home residents for personal expenses such as clothes and shoes; and free personal care for all people receiving nursing care.
The JRF claims these four changes are affordable and would cost the government a total of £775m a year.
Collins said that, while there was universal agreement that a funding system for long-term care was needed, ‘it may be a decade before the new system is in place’.
Julia Unwin, JRF chief executive, added: ‘It is especially important in the current economic crisis that the government stays on track and commits enough resources towards creating a system that works.’
