Care charges too complex to grasp

The system of charging for care is too complicated for people to understand even after explanation, according to an Age Concern study.

The report, based on focus groups, says participants, including those being charged for services themselves, struggled to comprehend the system even after its elements had been outlined and case studies provided.

Participants in the study on attitudes to paying for care also felt that the distinction between health and social care was artificial, and that personal care should be free at the point of need.

It was also felt that the £21,000 upper savings threshold, above which full care home charges apply, and the £19.60 weekly expense allowance for state-supported care home residents were far too low.