He said: “Nobody with a political memory longer than ten years will be surprised at Wes Streeting’s announcement today to set up an independent commission on social care – after all the Royal Commission delivered its recommendations in 1999 and the Dilnot Commission delivered its findings in 2011. The true challenge facing the Government is not in setting up a commission but in delivering the findings of one.
“The public continues to be tantalised by promises of fixing the problem of social care and continues to delay making any financial plans while they wait for the Government to deliver reform. Our own consumer study into this topic, that’s run for longer than a decade, recently found that nearly half (47%) of over 45s are already delaying making financial preparations for later-life care until government plans for care are confirmed. That’s 12 million people crossing their fingers and hoping it won’t happen to them. More than half of over 45s say they are confused by government announcements on funding of residential care - that’s 13 million people hanging their hopes on a yet-to-be confirmed government policy.
“This latest announcement is likely to drive four more years, at the very least, of paralysis rather than planning. This paralysis has consequences. Millions of unpaid carers are making daily sacrifices to support elderly family members. Nearly a third (31%) of carers aged 45-75 tell us they have reduced their working hours or stopped work in order to be able to provide informal care to elderly family members, with an average loss to their salary of £6,400 a year.
“The longer a government takes to deliver a policy the deeper the crisis becomes, and the more vulnerable people and their families will suffer.”
Just Group Care Report 2024 – Groundhog Day
|
