Dilnot adult social care funding reform

Dilnot: adult social care funding reform

Andrew Dilnot

The Commission on Funding of Care and Support, headed by Andrew Dilnot, set out its blueprint for reforming social care funding on Monday 4 July. Its proposals, which would add £1.7bn to the costs of care in England, include:-

Capping lifetime individual contributions to care at £35,000. This would cover care at home and in residential care, but not board and lodging costs within care homes.

Providing free care for those who develop needs before they reach 40.

Raising the means-test threshold for savings below which people become eligible for state-funded residential care from £23,250 to £100,000.

Standardising contributions to board and lodging costs in residential care at between £7,000 and £10,000 a year.

Introducing a national system of assessment and eligibility, initially set at substantial need.

Retaining disability benefits paid to people with care needs, but rebranding attendance allowance

The commission believes the reforms would mean that no one would spend more than 30% of their assets on care, compared with 90% now.
Health secretary Andrew Lansley said the government welcomed the proposals but has warned they may prove too costly to implement in full. A full government response will not be made until a White Paper next spring.

Have your say on the Dilnot reforms on CareSpace.