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Short changed: the Care Bill, top-ups and the emerging crisis in residential care funding
- Authors:
- LLOYD James, INDEPENDENT AGE
- Publisher:
- Independent Age
- Publication year:
- 2013
- Pagination:
- 28
- Place of publication:
- London
In England, more than 350,000 older people live in residential care, of whom 175,000 are ‘self-funders’ who pay for their residential care fees themselves, 143,000 have their residential care fees are paid by their council, and 56,000 ‘top-up’ the local authority funding they receive via so-called ‘third party payments. This report sets out the context for the government reforms to social care by reviewing key aspects of the current residential care market in England, including the growing use of ‘third party’ top-ups. It identifies those aspects of the Care Bill and the government’s ‘capped cost’ reforms to care funding in England that will have significant implications for the operation of ‘top-up’ payments. It explores the consequences of the new category of top-up payments - ‘self-funder top-ups’ - that will emerge following the 2016 reforms to care funding in England, and the rules that should be applied to them. It makes recommendations to policymakers that existing rules on top-ups must be properly applied, and must also be applied to the new category of ‘self-funder top-ups’ from 2016 when the Care Bill reforms are due to take effect. Applying these rules will have budgetary implications for local authorities and care providers, in light of which the Government must review public spending accordingly. (Edited publisher abstract)
Caring about the Care Act: a freedom of information research briefing
- Author:
- INDEPENDENT AGE
- Publisher:
- Independent Age
- Publication year:
- 2017
- Pagination:
- 42
- Place of publication:
- London
Drawing on the results of 134 responses to a Freedom of Information request submitted to all 152 local authorities across England, this briefing examines key aspects of the Care Act 2014 and local authorities’ performance, policies and practice. The findings highlight variation in the way that local authorities fulfil some of their most important duties under the Care Act. The briefing covers three key areas: market shaping; deferred payments; and care home top-up fees. The results found that nearly all local authorities who responded were able to show how they attempt to shape the care market in their local area, though many referred to their annual assessment of care homes as a key way of monitoring the market. However, local authorities were not routinely taking Care Quality Commission (CQC) inspections and ratings into account when arranging residents’ care home placements. Although government policy states that no one should ‘have to pay for care in their lifetime’ by selling their own home, the data suggests that people may have less chance of securing a deferred payment agreement, simply depending on the area where they live. The results also show that care home top-up fees remain a problem in some local authorities, with 35 councils unable to demonstrate that they are meeting all their Care Act duties on managing third party top-ups. The briefing makes recommendations for policy. (Edited publisher abstract)