Government Finally Making Sense On Social Care Funding

by Dr. Ros Altmann

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Dr Ros Altmann, Director-General of Saga, comments on today’s news that the Government will proceed with £35,000 cap on care costs as recommended by Dilnot:

“At last the Government is seeing sense and hopefully realising that it MUST sort out social care funding. Empty words will not deliver care. Funding is the crucial missing piece of the care puzzle and the longer the system is left as it is the more families will suffer.

“With an ageing population, the state obviously has to spend more on care. The only choice is whether to spend more in a planned way, by making reforms that increase social care provision, or to spend in an unplanned way, when more end up in hospital at an exorbitant cost to the NHS.

“All experts in this field have warned that sorting out social care funding is essential in order to prevent bankrupting the NHS. Dilnot’s proposals are an important part of solving our care crisis and the sooner we get clarity and firm decisions the better.”