Oxfordshire is the latest local authority to join as a
trailblazer for the government’s social care reform. It will
implement the changes of the charging reform early to end
unpredictable care costs for local care receivers.
To ensure a smooth transition from the current charging system
Oxfordshire joins Wolverhampton, Blackpool, Cheshire East,
Newham, North Yorkshire to make changes early ahead of national
roll out in October next year. This will include the lifetime cap
for care costs of £86,000 for anyone receiving care in England,
and a more generous means test to determine financial support
from local authorities.
The government selected the six local authorities to ensure there
was a representative cross section of communities so that any
insight, evidence and lessons learned from this initiative would
be helpful to all providers, local authorities and areas across
England.
Minister for Care and Mental Health, , said:
It’s great to have Oxfordshire join our trailblazers to implement
the charging reform early.
Oxfordshire, along with our other trailblazers, will pave the way
ensuring we learn from any insight, evidence and lessons to help
providers and local authorities across England in the future.
We’re looking forward to working with them to make the ambitious
change a reality.
Councillor Tim Bearder, Oxfordshire County Council Cabinet Member
for Adult Social Care said:
We know reform in adult social care is needed to remove the
unpredictable care costs people face as they get older.
Oxfordshire is a national leader in adult social care and being a
part of this small group of early adopters gives us the
opportunity to influence how the programme will be rolled out and
share our best practice with national government.
The government’s charging reform will be funded by the Health and
Social Care Levy, which is set to raise more than £5.4billion
including £3.6billion to reform the way people pay for their
social care.
From October next year, no-one starting to receive care will pay
more than £86,000 over their lifetime and no-one with assets of
less than £20,000 will have to make any contribution from their
savings or housing wealth – an increase from £14,250.
Means-tested support will be available for people with assets
between £20,000 and £100,000, with this upper limit more than
four times the current limit.
The trailblazers will shape the governments approach to the
implementation of the charging reform across England, by allowing
the Department of Health and Social care to trial key aspects of
the reforms.
The initiative will produce valuable insight, evidence and
lessons to aid the government in monitoring progress and
identifying challenges to improve understanding of how it’ll work
in practice.
These six local authorities will work with the department to
educate and inform other local authorities with a series of
events taking place before the final rollout.
