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Centre for Policy on Ageing | |
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Charging for care in later life
— a summary of the effects of reforming the means tests | | Author(s) | Ruth Hancock |
| Corporate Author | Nuffield Community Care Studies Unit, University of Leicester |
| Publisher | Nuffield Community Care Studies Unit, University of Leicester, Leicester, 2000 |
| Pages | 12 pp |
| Source | Nuffield Community Care Studies Unit, University of Leicester, 22-28 Princess Road West, Leicester LE1 6TP. |
| Keywords | Means testing ; Costs [care] ; Care homes ; Community care ; Social policy. |
| Annotation | How should costs of long-term care be met? This report summarises the financial consequences for older people of various possible changes to the means test. It looks at whether such changes would benefit poorer or richer older people, and how changes would affect the financial incentives for local authorities to arrange, and for older people to choose, residential care rather than care at home. Four options are examined on possible changes to residential care means tests. Making all care free of charge, benefits the richest group of older people most and brings small benefits to the poorest. Raising the savings limit would give most help to those in the middle income group and to homeowners. Raising the lower capital limit to £60,000 and the upper limit to £100,000 benefits those in middle income more than providing free care, but would cost the government only half as much. Disregarding more income, rather than more capital, benefits the poorest most. The Government must choose between targeting extra resources on the poorest, by disregarding more income, or devote extra resources to those whose income and capital is just too high for them to qualify for state help. (RH). |
| Accession Number | CPA-000616405 P |
| Classmark | JF4C: QDC: KW: PA: TM2 * |
Data © Centre for Policy on Ageing |
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| ...from the Ageinfo database published by Centre for Policy on Ageing. |
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