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Councils have not been compensated for paying the care bills of people wrongly denied fully-funded NHS continuing care, the health select committee heard today, writes Mithran Samuel from the committee meeting.

The director of social services and health at Wakefield Council Elaine McHale said the government estimates that £180 million would be paid out to people wrongly denied continuing care ignored the costs to councils.

On the first day of the committee’s inquiry into continuing care, she said: “The £180 million does not take into account the costs to the social services system where social services have picked up a wrong decision.”

Under continuing care, the NHS is responsible for the care costs of people whose needs are primarily health-based.

The committee also heard that the payouts would not fully compensate people forced to sell their homes to pay care bills that should have been met by the NHS.