Social care cap 'to be set at £75,000'

cepheus

Elderly people in England will not have to pay more than £75,000 for long-term social care after 2017, the health secretary is expected to say on Monday. The cost of any care above that amount would be paid for by the state

The figure is much higher than that recommended by a 2011 review, which said any cap should be set at £35,000. The BBC also understands the threshold for means-tested support, for those unable to pay their contribution, will rise to about £110,000.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-21394998

System

Per couple or per person?

C_Mababejive

But didnt there used to be a time not so long ago when long term care was free at point of use? I'd die first before i'd surrender more money to the state.

Mojisola

cepheus wrote: »

Elderly people in England will not have to pay more than £75,000 for long-term social care after 2017, the health secretary is expected to say on Monday. The cost of any care above that amount would be paid for by the state

This will only relate to the "care" part of a residential home's bill. The cost of the room, meals, clothes washing, etc, will still have to be paid for by the resident.

jimmy_f

Much has been made recently of the government bringing in a cap of potentially £75,000 that will have to be paid towards nursing fees and residential care for the elderly before the state steps in .

I had a couple of question and hoped this was the correct area to ask them.

My mother is 86 and has had Alzheimer disease for about three years and she has had to go into a care home costing £30,000 a year. We have had to sell her house to cover the care home fees as well as use any savings she and my late father built up over the years. As it stands if my mother lives for quite a while longer these will fund her care until all that is left is £23,000 and then the state takes over.
The new cap that the government is planning on bringing in of £75,000 is presumably the amount that the resident of the care home has to pay from their funds before the state steps in.

1.) If my mother is still a resident in her care home when the new cap comes in will the fact that she has already paid over £75,000 mean that she will be "paid up" or will it take effect from the date of the new cap or will she have to pay a further £75,000 on top of everything she has paid already. Hope that makes sense !

2.) Does any funding she might receive from the state, considering she has Alzeimer, cover both her care/nursing and accommodation because in effect she is in the home because she has Alzeimer disease

It would be really helpful if anyone has any knowledge of the above.
Thanks in advance
James

noh

C_Mababejive wrote: »

But didnt there used to be a time not so long ago when long term care was free at point of use?

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No there was not.

cepheus

The inheritance tax level will be frozen, supposedly as one of a number of measures to pay for it.

xylophone

My mother is 86 and has had Alzheimer disease for about three years

Did you look into "Continuing Health Care"? http://www.caretobedifferent.co.uk/paying-care-home-fees/nhs-continuing-healthcare/

McKneff

I thought Jeremy Hunt was an idiot this morning.

He said they were definitely on track to help people not having to sell their homes and this was going to happen.

If it is £75k and both my oH and I had to go into care, we havent got £150K to pay for care, what will have to happen. Ha, we have to sell the house.

They live in thier own little comfy world, they just have no idea.

noh

McKneff wrote: »

I thought Jeremy Hunt was an idiot this morning.

He said they were definitely on track to help people not having to sell their homes and this was going to happen.

If it is £75k and both my oH and I had to go into care, we havent got £150K to pay for care, what will have to happen. Ha, we have to sell the house.

They live in thier own little comfy world, they just have no idea.

You mised this bit
The BBC also understands the threshold for means-tested support will rise from £23,000 to £110,000

BobQ

McKneff wrote: »

I thought Jeremy Hunt was an idiot this morning.

He said they were definitely on track to help people not having to sell their homes and this was going to happen.

If it is £75k and both my oH and I had to go into care, we havent got £150K to pay for care, what will have to happen. Ha, we have to sell the house.

They live in thier own little comfy world, they just have no idea.

I think the "they" he was speaking of are people with enough income to pay the costs of the care without needing to sell the house.:) Their children will be pleased.