Speaking at the launch of the Dilnot report, Carers UK Chief Executive Imelda Redmond CBE commented:
“The current social care system is broken. The 6.4 million carers in the UK are too often let down by a system which is complex, costly and unfair. Family members end up sacrificing their careers, finances and their own health to care for ill or disabled loved ones, yet get little or no help from the social care system or find that services are poor quality and expensive.
Our health and social care services could not function without the contribution of the unpaid care provided by families – which we estimate to be the equivalent of £119 billion a year. We welcome the Commission’s acknowledgement of carers as the ‘foundation of the care and support system’. The report recognises the need to support families so that caring is manageable and family members are able to live their lives and work alongside caring.
Proposals to cap the costs of care could make a huge difference to many families, who face crippling charges to get essential support. We also welcome many of the specific proposals in the report: A national eligibility framework so care needs are assessed in the same way across the country; a new advice and information strategy to help families plan for the future and guide them through our complex care system; and proposals for better integration of NHS and social care services so that people discharged from hospital do not have to wait for the care they need at home.
We call on all political parties to work together to urgently publish a timetable for reform. Our care system is in crisis now, and families will not forgive any delay which continues the current cycle of cuts and leaves them without the support they need.”
The proposals have been welcomed across the social care sector. Twenty three members of the Care & Support Alliance have released a joint statement welcoming the report as a ‘strong foundation on which to build reform of the social care system’. The report incorporates many of the Alliance’s core principles for reform, and the organisations, including Age UK, Mencap and Scope, have called upon the Government to act quickly and decisively to end the crisis in social care funding.
In a joint statement, they said:
“For too long the social care system has been chronically underfunded, leaving disabled and older people and their families with an outdated care system which is not fit for purpose. A lack of awareness of the costs of care and the complexity of the system have left individuals and families confused and frustrated at the difficulty in trying to get help and facing huge and unexpected bills.
It is now vital that Government sets out a clear timetable for change and does so quickly. We call on the Government to commit to a White Paper by next Easter at the latest, which goes hand in hand with a reform of social care law, to clearly set out rights and entitlements both for families and care professionals. The Alliance has long urged political consensus on social care and we warmly welcome the offer of cross party talks. Social care is too important an issue to leave to party politics. What we need is a long term solution that can weather political and economic change and meets everyone’s needs – from young adults with disabilities to older people".
The report meets the Care & Support Alliance’s criteria for success in several ways:
- Additional public funding - with an ageing population and people living longer with illness and disability, more money is needed just to maintain current levels of service. But, in addition to meeting growing demand, if we want to raise standards to a quality we would all expect, then the social care system will require substantial new money.
- A system which recognises the needs and costs of younger disabled adults as well as older people.
- Clarity about costs – capping the costs of care removes the risk that families will face catastrophic care costs as they get older or if they are affected by illness or disability. This will also enable people to plan better for the costs of care.
- Currently, where you live determines what care you get and how much it costs. Proposals to introduce a national system of assessments and eligibility would reduce administration, confusion and complexity. This proposal would also deliver ‘portability’ - helping those families or individuals who want to move to another area, but currently risk their care arrangements breaking down because of differing local provision.
- We warmly welcome proposals to create a universal advice and information ‘offer’ for families. Whether their care needs develop suddenly or over time, we know that many people struggle to get advice and information on where to get support. Our organisations hear every day from families who struggle to navigate the care and support system to get essential help.
- Recognition of the contribution of families who care - often at significant cost to their own jobs, health, income and well-being.
- Recognition that universal benefits, such as Attendance Allowance for older people, need to be retained. These benefits provide flexible support for older and disabled people which can be spent on what individuals need most.
Signed:
Action on Hearing Loss
Age UK
Alzheimer’s Society
British Red Cross
Carers UK
Centre for Policy on Ageing
Counsel and Care
Crossroads Care
Guide Dogs
Huntington's Disease Association
Learning Disability Coalition
Marie Curie Cancer Care
Mencap
MND Association
MS Society
National Network of Family Carers
RADAR
Rethink Mental Illness
RNIB
Scope
Sense
Stroke Association
United Response
The Care & Support Alliance is a consortium of over 50 organisations representing older and disabled people, those with long-term conditions and their families, who work together to promote reform of social care.
