The future funding of social care is to be examined by an independent commission after the new government said this was at the ‘top of our agenda’.
Further details of the Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition deal, published today, reveal that the Commission on Long Term Care will report within a year.
‘The commission will consider a range of ideas, including both a voluntary insurance scheme to protect the assets of those who go into residential care, and a partnership scheme as proposed by Derek Wanless,’ the document states.
Care services minister Paul Burstow said: ‘Urgent reform of the social care system is at the top of our agenda. The current system is unsustainable – it cannot go on as it is. Our first step to reform is to establish an independent commission.
‘The Commission on Long Term Care will be tasked with delivering a sustainable settlement, which is a fair partnership between the state and the individual. We’ll set out further details and the terms of reference soon.’
The government also announced that it would not be starting the provisions in the Personal Care at Home Act 2010, relating to free care at home. The Act was passed shortly before the election.
The charity Counsel and Care said the commission offered a ‘unique opportunity’ for sweeping reform of the care system.
But chief executive Stephen Burke said: ‘The urgency of the current situation must not be underestimated. We hope that the new commission will remain mindful of this throughout its discussions and keep focused at all times on the urgent need for better care for older people and their carers.
‘This generation of older people and their carers must not be made to wait any longer for change. Older people need care and support to be improved today. It is vital that the failings in the current system are addressed urgently to ensure that older people, their families and carers can access good quality care that truly meets the needs of our ageing population.’
