Over 100,000 pensioners hurt by delay to care home aid

More than 100,000 people will not get the help with care home costs that the Government had promised them.

Care Minister Alistair Burt has revealed exactly how many people will be financially worse off as a result of the Government’s decision to delay the introduction of a cap of £72,000 on the amount people pay towards their residential care.

The care minister has admitted that postponing the cap’s introduction from April next year to April 2020, will hit the wallets of 23,000 pensioners in 2016/17 and will hurt 80,000 more older people over the next decade.

In a parliamentary written answer, he stated: ‘Based on the most recent impact assessment, had the cap system been implemented in April 2016, around 23,000 older people in England would have benefited immediately in 2016/17 and by 2025/26 up to 80,000 additional older people would have received state support.’

Currently, older people with less than £23,250 in assets and low incomes receive help from the state with their care home costs. The introduction of a cap would see older people with £118,000 worth of assets or less getting financial support with their care home costs.

The Conservatives’ manifesto pledge to introduce the cap next year was promoted as a way to ensure ‘no one has to sell their home.’

Alistair Burt stated:‘‘The decision to delay followed careful consideration of feedback from stakeholders that April 2016 was not the right time to implement these significant and expensive reforms. The benefits of the cap have had to be weighed against the need to focus on supporting the system that supports the most vulnerable.

'The delay will allow local authorities time to focus on consolidating the important reforms to care and support introduced on 1 April 2015, laying the groundwork to implement the funding reforms as successfully as possible in 2020.’

The Local Government Association (LGA) asked the Government the delay the cap's introduction, stating that 'any money from delaying the reforms must be put back into adult social care services and support putting it on a sustainable footing.'

Describing the funding gap in adult social care as growing by £700 million a year, councillor Izzi Seccombe, chairman of the LGA's Community Wellbeing Board, said: "Whilst this will not cover the rapidly increasing care costs councils are facing, it will be better than to attempt to push forward with changes on shaky grounds."

"In an ideal world, we would have funding for both the system and the reforms but we have to be realistic about where scarce resources are needed most. Local authorities have already implemented phase one of the Care Act, and if both the reforms and the care system were fully funded, we would not need to suggest a delay."

Former care minister Norman Lamb, secured a commitment to introduce a cap on care costs from 2016. The liberal democrat MP said: “Now, the Conservative government has betrayed those millions of families faced with social care costs.”

Norman Lamb urged people to sign his petition calling on the government to introduce the cap as promised next April.