2/3 Believe Care Funding Should Be Judged On Needs, Not Means

A recent survey carried out by YouGov has revealed that two-thirds of the public would prefer to see funding for care services assessed by the type of care the service user will need and not based on their means.

Commissioned by the Caring Choices group, the survey also found while 58 per cent of respondents believed that the state should have the most responsibility to assist with the cost of care, 44 per cent said they expect to have to rely upon their own personal savings. Over a third of respondents said they expected to rely on the NHS for financial support, while 17 per cent admitted that they thought they would receive financial support from their children.

Julia Unwin, director of the Joseph Rowntree Foundation, one of the 15 charities involved in Caring Choices, said: “We need a new social care system that is clear, reliable and that will work for future generations. Understanding the views of citizens and the sort of choices they are prepared to make for their old age is an important first step in this process.”

Chief Executive of the King’s Fund Niall Dickson added: “It is clear that the current long-term care system is complex, unfair and unsustainable for the future. It not only penalises people with moderate savings, but it also discourages hundreds of thousands from receiving the support they need.

“While the state cannot provide everything, these findings show that the public is prepared to contribute to the costs of their care. What we need now is a debate about roles, responsibilities and risks – and the trade-offs we are prepared to make as individuals and as a society – to ensure we all get the care we need and deserve,” he concluded.