As your local MP and Minister of State for Care Services I am asking for your views about the government’s vision for creating a National Care Service.
The Need for Change
Although our social care services have improved a lot in recent years, I know that many people feel the means test for social care is unfair, the quality of services is too variable, and the system won’t cope with the pressures of an ageing society.
We need a care system that is fairer, simpler, and more affordable. One that ensures people receive a really good care service wherever they live and where everyone gets some help with the costs of their care.
A National Care Service
The new National Care Service for people with disabilities and older people needing care will provide care and support tailored to meet each person’s needs. It will help individuals live independent lives for as long as possible.
Through better prevention services it will help people to maintain a better quality of life in their own home. It will give people more choice over the care services they receive and more control over their care budget.
People will have their needs assessed in the same way wherever they live and receive easy to use information and advice about what care is available. It will also get health and social care services to work better together and cut out unnecessary form filling and bureaucracy.
Tell me what you think
There are difficult choices to be made about how we fund a National Care Service. We want the funding to be fair, simple and affordable. We have proposed three options and I would like to know your views about which you think is best.
The options are outlined below and the survey form invites you to tell me which you prefer and give comments about a National Care Service.
This is a once in a generation opportunity to shape the future of care together. I look forward to hearing from you.
How should we fund a National Care Service?
The Current System
At present if you have savings of more than £23,000 you do not get any of your care paid for by the state. You have to pay for your care yourself out of your savings until you have only £23,000 left. And if you go into residential care and own a house, you could have to sell your home to help pay for your care. This 'means tested' method of funding care services has been in place since the 1940's.
Three options for funding a National Care Service:
The Partnership System
This would mean that everyone who qualified for care and support from the state would, whatever their savings, be entitled to have a set proportion (for example up to a third) of their basic care and support paid for by the state. The most well-off would be expected to pay for the rest of their care themselves; those who were less well-off would have more of their care paid for; and the least well-off would continue to get all their care for free.
The Insurance System
This would be the same as the Partnership System but you would be able to choose to take out insurance to cover the rest of the costs of your care and support. The state could help set up such an insurance system for you to pay into which at today's prices would be a sum of around £20—25,000.
The Comprehensive System
This would be similar to the Partnership System but would require everyone over retirement age who has the resources to do so, to pay into a state insurance scheme. At today's prices this would be a sum of around £17-20,000. Everyone who needs care and support would then get their care for free when they needed it. We would also look at having a free care system alongside this for people with disabilities of working age.
For information:
It is proposed that people would be able to contribute towards the costs
of the insurance or comprehensive systems in five different ways:
- Lump sum on retirement
- Defer state pension
- Instalments throughout retirement
- Defer payment from your estate until after death
Or a mixture of these options
If you would like more details about the proposals for a National Care Service and how it could be funded please visit careandsupport.direct.gov.uk, email me at hopep@parliament.uk or write to me at Chisholm House, Queen’s Square, Corby, NN17 1PD
Shaping the Future of Care Together:
Let me know what you think:
