MPs call for stronger rules on care home top-up fees

Research from older people’s charity, Independent Age, is highlighted in an upcoming parliamentary motion drawing attention to the injustice suffered by the families of some of the poorest older people who are having to shell out money unnecessarily for care.

The research has revealed what Independent Age calls ‘a hidden scandal in our social care system’ and the ‘Secret Subsidy’ , namely that the families of some of the poorest older people are paying for essential care that is really the responsibility of the council to meet. These families are asked to ‘top-up’ the cost of their loved one’s care home place and many pay hundreds of pounds a week.

Paul Burstow, former Minister for Care, has tabled a parliamentary motion which reveals that around three-quarters of councils are unable to show they are protecting families of the poorest pensioners from paying top-up fees for essential residential care.

Andrew Kaye, head of policy and campaigns at Independent Age, said: “This important motion, sponsored by Paul Burstow, Grahame Morris and Tracey Crouch, follows on from our extensive research on the ‘Secret Subsidy’. Still too many families find themselves confused they are being asked to pay an additional fee for basic care they assumed was the responsibility of councils to meet.

Early Day Motion 152, as the motion is tabled, calls on the Government to strengthen the legal framework on charging for residential accommodation so that local authorities have to monitor actively which residents are able and willing to pay so-called top-up fees.

Top-up fees are meant to be paid by the relatives of council-funded residents who would like to pay more - perhaps because they would like their relative to have a bigger room, or a better view. But these payments should be voluntary and councils are required to check that families can afford to pay them.

Independent Age maintains that top-ups should not be used simply to plug a shortfall in local authorities’ social care budgets, and they are not meant to be used to cover the costs of essential care.

The charity recently calculated that residential care is underfunded by around £700m a year, with local authorities buying care places at between £30 and £130 below the market rate. Many care homes, according to the charity, are passing this shortfall onto individuals, either by asking families to ‘top-up’ the cost of their loved ones’ care home places, or by charging fee-paying residents more for the same level of care.

Mr Kaye said: “It is wrong that families of some of the poorest pensioners are pushed to make up the shortfall in care home fees by paying top-ups they can ill afford. We’re calling on the Government to fund councils properly so they can pay a fair price for care and for councils to take whatever action they can to satisfy themselves that the people paying top-ups for care home places have voluntarily chosen to do so.”

Find out more about Independent Age’s End the Secret Subsidy campaign by visiting www.independentage.org/campaigning/secret-subsidy/ and read about the early day motion on http://www.parliament.uk/edm/2014-15/152