Brown promises free home personal care

moonrakerz

What I don't quite understand is: If all this extra spending will be covered by "cutting out waste and inefficiency" - why were we wasting it in the first place

zzzLazyDaisy

scotsman4th wrote: »

http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Health/care/17655

http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2006/03/27130345/0

Apparently we've had it from 2002. Cant think of anyone complaning about it impact on on other benefits though.

And interestingly, the proposal to scrap Attendance Allowance only applies to England.... Scotland will carry on getting free care in old age when it is needed, and Attendance Allowance to help them stay in their own homes if that is more appropriate.

So why the different treatment??

(Not criticising Scotland BTW, I think it is great, I just wonder why our PM wants to treat the English differently from the Scots and the Welsh?)

Errata

Probably because the scots are running into serious financial problems with their free care and if they worsen they're going to have to make some changes to it.

Rolandtheroadie

Errata wrote: »

Probably because the scots are running into serious financial problems with their free care and if they worsen they're going to have to make some changes to it.

Really? where did you read that?
With the reductions in prescription charges and the freeze on council tax for the past couple of years, I thought we were doing not too bad.

moonrakerz

scotsman4th wrote: »

Really? where did you read that?

Here ?:
http://scotlandonsunday.scotsman.com/holyroodparliamentbuilding/Holyrood-in-500m-overspend.2837765.jp

Don't worry though - Gordon will make sure that the English will pick up the bill as usual. :rolleyes:

EdInvestor

Tories produce a counter plan: pay £8k at age 65 to guarantee all care costs will be paid.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1217777/Elderly-wont-sell-homes-fund-care--make-payment-8-000-say-Tories.html

To be arranged via the insurance industry.

Errata

I'm trying to figure out the actual cost pa of the Tory plan. As I understand it, the £8k will cover the 'hotel' costs with the NHS picking up the balance. Both parties seem to be pitching for the middle Enland vote with their plans for elderly care.
It could be a toss up between Labour's option of £20k and Tory £8k. Either of these figures taken as an 'insurance' at age 65 will 'insure' someone for c20 years but that has to be weighed against only 5% of older people needing residential care towards the end of their lives.

Ho hum.

EdInvestor

If someone can structure a low cost insurance policy possibly with a little tax relief attached which will mature at 65 paying the relevant amount, that might fly.But I can't see many people forking out £8-20k in cash, because the odds of needing care are so low.

Errata

I'm not sure. £8k is just about the price of a new small car. If someone owns property outright worth £125k which increases annually in value by 1%, it would cover £8k in 6.4 years.
Children could share the cost? Winter fuel allowance at £250 pa would cover it in 32 years?
Wearing my man on the Clapham omnibus hat, the Tory plan sounds far more tempting than the Labour one.

I've been struck by a thought. Providing Labour win the next election - not a certainty - and care willl be free for those who need it in their own homes, why will they have to pay for it if they're in residential care?

margaretclare

krisskross wrote: »

I reckon a lot of the money will come from stopping Attendance Allowance.

I think you're right.

It seems to me that the Government dislikes the principle of having a non-taxable non-means-testable benefit like Attendance Allowance. They'd like to get all of us on to means-testing, preferably offloading the responsibility on to local councils. At least with AA you have the freedom to 'buy in' what help you need and decide on it yourself. I spent quite a bit last autumn when DH was so ill.

See the comparison table in the middle of this article: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1217777/Elderly-wont-sell-homes-fund-care--make-payment-8-000-say-Tories.html