Commenting ahead of a vote on an amendment to the Care Act 2014,
Nuffield Trust Deputy Director of Policy Natasha Curry said:
“The proposed amendment to the Care Act would be
a significant change to the way the cap on social care
costs would work. Under these new proposals, fewer people
will be protected from catastrophic costs than would have been
the case under the original proposals.
“It is very disappointing that the government has not set out its
assessment of the impact of these changes. Without it we cannot
work out exactly how many people will be protected from needing
to sell their homes to pay for care costs. Crucially, these
changes as they stand offer far less protection to those with
lower levels of wealth than their wealthier counterparts.
“But ultimately, these tweaks do nothing to address
the burning issues of a social care system
already deep in crisis. A cap may help to put a limit
on some people's costs but it does not in itself inject more
money into the system, improve care or extend access to
care, or address the dangerous gaps in the social care
workforce. It must sit alongside other reforms to this
broken system.
“The social care reform we desperately need to see must work for
everyone - no matter our wealth, income, age, condition, or where
we live. In the here and now, the government must act quickly to
tackle severe immediate challenges ahead of the winter. We then
need to see a long-term, comprehensive plan based on clear
principles to deliver lasting change and build a fair, clear and
sustainable care system. We still appear to be a long way from
that.”
