Unison calls for Government to scrap cap on social care costs

The trade union Unison has joined forces with the National Pensioners Convention and is calling for the cap on social care costs to be scrapped.
Instead they want social care to be provided free at the point of use, funded through general taxation along the lines of the NHS-style model of care.

The Care Bill is currently being discussed in the House of Lords.

Dave Prentis, UNISON general secretary, said: “We are appealing to the Lords to make a stand against the coalition’s plan to cap social care costs. The plans fail to address the key issues facing social care – the chronic underfunding of the system and the damaging impact on quality.

“And despite the Government’s claims, it will not stop the elderly from having to sell their homes to pay for their care. We think the cap should be scrapped with a national social care service put in place. It should be free at the point of use, funded through general taxation, similar to the NHS-style model of care.”

Dot Gibson, NPC general secretary said: “Peers of all parties need to understand that the Care Bill is simply tinkering at the edges of the problem with social care. Every day some of our most vulnerable older people are being let down by a largely privatised social care system that simply cannot meet their needs. The fairest way of paying for our care in later life should be through general taxation, just like other public services.”

Unison and the National Pensioners Convention are concerned that key issues with the current set up will not be addressed, including the chronic underfunding of the system and the impact this has on standards.

They claim the moves will make the already complex care system even more difficult for people to navigate, and that the changes will not prevent people having to sell their homes, as the Government has claimed. They are also concerned that it will not help those struggling to pay for care, especially those on low-mid incomes.

UNISON and the National Pensioners Convention will lobby MPs when the bill moves to the House of Commons in October.

The Government is planning to introduce the cap in 2016. However, the cap will only apply to the cost of care that people get while in their own home or in a care home.

It will not include the costs of bed and board in a care home although the Government has said it will cap bed and board costs as well to 12,500 a year.

If someone is assessed by their local authority as having eligible care needs, they will be told how much it will cost the local authority to meet those needs with local services. It is estimated that many will die before the cap comes into effect as it will take around five years to reach the cap.