Welsh Government raises threshold on residential care charges

The Welsh Government has raised the capital limit used by local authorities who charge for residential care from £24,000 to £50,000 as part of its new five-year plan entitled Taking Wales Forward, which has been broadly welcomed by social care experts.

The plan also sets out other changes to social care regulations, including a requirement to disregard the War Disablement Pension (WDP) in financial assessments for social care charges.

Rebecca Evans, minister for social services and public health, said: “This government is committed to supporting older people and those requiring care, which is why our five-year plan pledged to more than double the capital people can keep when in residential care.

“This frees up more of people’s money for them to use as they wish.”

But Care Forum Wales has warned of a potential funding crisis in social care after pensioners in Wales have been told they will be able to keep more of their savings if they have to move into residential care homes.

Mario Kreft, chair of Care Forum Wales, has warned of a crisis in social care unless the government looks at how the system is funded: “This policy needs to be funded otherwise local authorities or care homes themselves will be picking up the tab at a time when they are already being squeezed financially.

“Our concern is that there is not currently sufficient money in the system to sustain a viable health and social care sector in Wales to meet the needs of the population and there is potential for these changes to make things worse.”

_{Picture (c) Jonathan Brady / PA Wire.}