Paying for Care

monkeyspanner

EdInvestor wrote: »

Rather than try to impose a levy on everyone perhaps it would be better to cap the cost to say 40-50k for those who do need it.

That sounds pretty fair. My concern about the £12k up front would be who is going to be the decision maker. If someone needs care, and are you going to end up having to fight the system to obtain care even though you have paid.

Errata

From another perspective, if people pay £12k up front they're going to be demanding care at home as soon as they need it, rather than struggling on as so many do at the moment.

whereforcare

I guess it's like every other aspect of our taxation sytem but actually a bit more upfront! I don't have kids, only visit my GP about once every two years, yet my taxes pay for health and education that I will probably never use. The issue I have with this and the potonetial £225m funding gap that will exist in care of the elderly is the fact that the youunger generation are aware of what may happen and can plan accordingly. Those in their 70's & 80's have worked hard all their lives inclusing in many cases going to war to preserve freedoms, yet are now being told that they have to fund their care whilst the rest of us pay for duck houses, Sorry, rant over.

monkeyspanner

I wouldn't consider that a rant merely a statement of fact. The treatment and status of the elderly is a very low in the majority of MP's priorities. Much lower than making sure they line their own pockets and stay elected as long as they can to make sure they have the longest opportunity to maximise their benefit.

[Deleted User]

I am hoping never to go into care as there are lots of options I can choose to help me live here. I have choice, which my savings gives me and that is why I am still saving and not blowing the lot

No way on earth would I pay 12 thousand to fund the workshy long term benefit scroungers or the spendthrifts who deliberately spend all they earn. That 12 thousand would go a long way to paying for a cleaner etc

I can put up with the fact that the people above get no end of tax payer funded handouts plus a big cushion but this 12 thousand would be the last straw

monkeyspanner

kittie wrote: »

I am hoping never to go into care as there are lots of options I can choose to help me live here. I have choice, which my savings gives me and that is why I am still saving and not blowing the lot

No way on earth would I pay 12 thousand to fund the workshy long term benefit scroungers or the spendthrifts who deliberately spend all they earn. That 12 thousand would go a long way to paying for a cleaner etc

I can put up with the fact that the people above get no end of tax payer funded handouts plus a big cushion but this 12 thousand would be the last straw

As I understand it the £12K would not be to fund the people who end up with no funds as they are already assisted with care home fees. It is to cover the cost of the small proportion of people who willl need a care home and do have funds to cover the cost. The cost of which would be £20K a year upwards.

Errata

The Mail today reports that Brown will increase NI contributions to fund care for older people. More info here http://www.mailonsunday.co.uk/news/article-1197580/Brown-planning-National-Insurance-tax-grab-fund-elderly-care-plan.html

EdInvestor

What views on the Green paper then?

So it won't solve the problem of selling the house at all.

It also seems they plan to drop Attendance Allowance to fund this care.

A close watch needs to be kept on all this methinks, lest things get changed on the quiet.Elderly care is after all not the sexiest of subjects so it's not clear you can rely on Her Maj's Opposition or the media to give it the appropriately consistent critical eye.

Errata

I'm still pondering it. It makes sense for people to pay the 'hotel' costs as they would be paying these if they still lived in their own home. However, the hotel costs could be more than their SRP and with no AA, they will be dipping into their savings. They could, rightly, expect better grub if they're paying for it directly and this will cost.
The encouraging statistic is that 1 in 5 will only need c£1k of care before they die.
I need to ponder a bit more. Ed, what's your view ?

EdInvestor

Here's the Mail's take on it:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1199532/Stealth-tax-No-just-care-insurance-says-Health-Secretary-Andy-Burnham.html

and a Guardian article supporting return to free care funded by taxation.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2009/jul/15/care-elderly-government-proposals