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One in four pensioners to pay care home top-up fees

22nd August 2017

One in four pensioners whose care home place is supposed to be funded by state forced to pay top-up fees, report finds.
A report has found that despite being fully funded by the state, one in four pensioners are being forced to pay top-up fees to gain access to adequate care.

This means that on average over 48,000 people who are supposed to be entitled to free care home places, are being forced to contribute to their care costs. This claim was made by Age UK, who with their new research, have discovered hidden charges that the elderly of Britain are forced to face.

The report shows concerns for means-tested payments by the Government, as they appear inadequate and don’t actually cover the swelling costs charged by care homes. Which forces many who need basic assistance to retreat into their own savings or turn to relatives for support.

The report also found that across the UK roughly 24% of all council-funded pensioners are having to pay top up fees, that range from £25 a week to more than £100 per week.

In addition, the current means of assessment which determines if pensioners qualify for free places has been described as “wretchedly mean”, and funding should be changed to match the “basis of their needs”.

After the findings, campaigners have notoriously labelled the disparity the “stealth tax”, and urge ministers to step in and rework a care system which is “riddled with hidden unfairness”.

There have been a great deal of freedom of information requests published in recent years. Which show that home care services have been, and are presently becoming more expensive, with fees varying wildly depending on the local authority.

Last year, a similar study revealed that middle class pensioners with assets totalling more than £23,000, and who are required to “self-fund”, are paying up to £10,000 a year. Which is what councils pay for the same places.

Director of the Good Care Guide, Stephen Burke said: “These hidden charges are another example of the stealth tax on care, older people and their families are being asked to pay.

“The responsibility of paying for care is being shifted from the state to those needing care at an increasing pace. It’s particularly devastating to the elderly who happen to have dementia for example. Older people and their families should be able to get advice on their rights and entitlements when choosing and paying for care.

“This is an example of why we need urgent and fundamental reform of the care system. The government needs to lead on creating a care system that is simpler, fairer and sustainable. That will require a new vision for care and support and substantially more funding from government to meet the needs of our ageing population.”

The report, titled ‘Behind the Headlines’ says that pensioners who need residential care “should be able to qualify for council funded care on the basis of their needs. Unfortunately, it slips through the fingers of significant numbers, disqualifying them from financial help until they have run down their assets to £23,250”.

Age UK says it has dealt with more than 250 rejected cases in the past year alone, with many families feeling they had “no real option but to pay a top up to secure a care home place for their loved one”.

“This care system is woefully underfunded, as councils are struggling to fulfil their legal duties, and therefore many care homes find it tremendously hard to provide decent care for older people on council rates. Top ups are at risk of being unfairly exploited, with desperate families falling as the biggest losers,” it continues.

Caroline Abrahams, Age UK’s charity director said: “Families are finding themselves in horrible situations, soon finding that unless they pay up their older relative will have to live in a care home that is so far away they will be cut off from everyone they know.

“In some cases, families are being asked to pay a lot more than they can afford. In other situations, we have heard of families holding back the urge to quarrel about an unfair request for a ‘top up’, when their loved one is in hospital and ready to leave. Because the alternative would take even longer for them to be discharged.”

The charity is recommending and urging families to research and understand their legal rights – as many are unaware that they may be able to challenge a care home for a top up that is unfairly charged.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/07/26/one-four-pensioners-whose-care-home-place-supposed-funded-state/

 

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