Salford residents could be disadvantaged under the government’s planned changes to the social care cap rules.
From 2023 no one in England will pay more than £86,000 in personal care fees during their lifetime.
The cap will cover fees for personal care, such as help with washing and dressing. It will not cover living costs such as care home fees, food, or utility bills, and payments from councils will not be included in the personal limit.
The move is designed to reduce financial pressure on older people to sell their home to pay care bills.
But Labour opposed the move, in part because the scheme is less helpful to poorer people living in rented accommodation or whose homes are worth less.
According to the latest 2019 Index of Multiple Deprivation, Salford is the top 20 most deprived local authority areas in England.
Mike Pevitt, secretary for Salford and Eccles Constituency Labour Party, said: “The government still has no proper care plan in place.
“This will affect the poorest especially homes of lower value. The majority of homes in Salford are terraced which are generally a fifth of the value that is found in the south.
“Northern homeowners will be paying a higher percentage of their house value than people in the south. There’s even a local divide as well within Salford – not as great as a national one but it is still there.”
The government published guidance saying that people will remain responsible for their daily living costs throughout their care journey, including after they reach the cap. For simplicity, these costs will be set at a national, notional amount of £200 per week…ensuring people get to keep more of their income and assets.
Mr Pevitt said: “People in social housing would not be paying as they have no assets.
This will have an effect on many people in Salford.”
Credit: Natasha Formby
The government’s plan to exclude council support payments on care costs could be amended in the House of Lords in hopes that they would scrutinise the reform plans and offer means of improvement.
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