December 01, 2022
Article
Since Mark Hickman and Carl May-Smith wrote the articles contained in this newsletter, Chancellor Jeremy Hunt has announced a delay to a cap on care costs in England. The cap, which would have ensured that people paid no more than £86,000 towards their personal care during their lifetime, had been due to come into effect in October 2023. It has now been delayed for two years, leading Age UK to say that this “raises serious questions over whether it will ever be introduced at all”.
Health Secretary Steve Barclay said the delay was a “difficult decision” but the Government was committed to the reforms. He said there would be £2.8bn of funding for social care over the next year and £4.7bn the year after, allowing 200,000 more care packages to be delivered. This in turn would reduce the pressure on the NHS, as often people who are well enough to leave hospital are not able to be discharged because of a lack of support or care home places in the community