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This Green Paper on the reform of adult social care in England was published 14 July 2009. It examines proposals to set up a National Care Service, a care equivalent of the National Health Service.
The closing date for responses to the green paper was 13 November 2009.
You can view our response to the green paper from the links below.
The paper proposes that such a system should apply across England and should be:
Following on from this the paper discusses what people should expect from such a system, how the system would work and how it should be funded.
The paper identifies 6 elements that people should expect from a National Care Service:
How the system should work
The paper emphasises joined up working between various national and local government strands, such as those providing benefits, care, health and housing. The aim is that a wider range of services be made available backed by a system better able to identify needs and ensure they are met.
In the current system, people who have the highest needs and lowest means get some help through the social care system, and some people get help through disability benefits. But many people, including some with high needs, get no help with paying for care at all.
The intention is that everyone will get fully funded help to meet between a quarter and third of their care needs. Those on low incomes would get more financial support. Everyone else would have to pay towards their care.
It is proposed that this could be funded in one of three ways:
Note: The term care and support does not refer to the accommodation costs incurred as part of a residential care package.
"As well as care and support costs, people entering residential care have to also pay for their accommodation costs, for example food and lodging. Although there will always be a role for the state to play in helping people with low income and assets, we believe it is fair to expect the majority of people to meet these costs themselves.
However, we also think there is more that the Government can do to help people with the way they pay these costs. We are proposing a universal deferred payment mechanism, allowing residential care and accommodation costs to be charged upon a person's estate when they die, rather than having to go through the process of selling their home when they need residential care."
Attendance allowance
Page 102 of the Green paper examines the role of disability living allowance and attendance allowance in relation to social care. It is considered that there are inconsistencies of approach between disability benefits and social care within the current system because the two systems developed in isolation from each other and are allocated on different bases.
"We think we should consider integrating some elements of disability benefits, for example Attendance Allowance, to create a new offer for individuals with care needs. If we decide that integrating some disability benefits, such as Attendance Allowance, into a simplified system is the right approach, we would want to ensure that the future social care system retains and builds on the main advantages of the current disability benefits system."
Note: Currently attendance allowance ceases after 4 weeks when someone enters residential care. It can also be used to help pay for any care services in the home under Fairer Charging Policies for Home Care and other non-residential Social Services.
You can view our response to the green paper from the links below.
Once the consultation has finished, the Government will publish the results of the response. It will also set up a national leadership group, bringing together the leading experts and organisations across care and support to "drive forward changes and to resolve issues where clear differences remain", even after the consultation on the Green Paper.
A White Paper on care and support will be published in 2010, with detailed proposals for implementing a new National Care Service offering care and support for everyone.
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