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Prime Minister Gordon Brown has proposed a new insurance-based system to solve the problem of social care for the elderly, which is expected to soar in cost to a massive £24 billion in the next 20 years.
The soaring costs have been estimated using a report by the Department of Health, which estimates that a quarter of the adult population will be aged of 65 by 2028, while the number of people over 85 will have doubled and the number of those over 100 will have quadrupled.
In a speech that marks the beginning of a six-month public consultation into care, Mr Brown said that he wanted to free people from the fear of selling their homes to pay for care, which is what happens under the current system. The Prime Minister criticised the current system and said that it is unfair for those who had worked hard and saved throughout their lives.
The current system doesn’t allow anybody with a home or savings worth over £22,250 to receive help with care home fees, which are an average of £450 per week. However, because of rising property prices, few homeowners actually qualify for help and charities estimate that as many as 70,000 people a year are now forced to sell their homes to pay for residential care.
In his speech, Mr Brown said that many families were currently forced to care for elderly relatives and there was a lot of anxiety associated with the provision of care, he said: "Of course, helping relatives is a challenge that most families rise to - however difficult it becomes. But that doesn’t make it any easier." He then added: "Nor does it remove family worries about providing physical care that is needed, or take away people’s concerns that at some point in the future they may have to sell a treasured home to pay for their own care. We can - and must - look to give people the opportunity and the support to save for their old age in a way which insures them and protects their houses and their inheritance."
While Mr Brown revealed very few details on how the new system might work, it is thought that it will see everybody receive a basic contribution from the Government towards the cost of care. People will have the opportunity to boost this insurance by saving towards ‘top-up payments’, just like a real insurance scheme.
Stephen Burke, who is chief executive of the charity Counsel and Care, believes that a social insurance scheme like this is a good option. He said: "The growing care gap means we have to examine creatively new ways of paying for care, sharing the cost and risk. Social insurance schemes have worked in other countries and certainly should be examined during the care debate, along with other forms of private and public spending."
It is hoped that the Prime Minister’s care initiative will revive the popularity of the Labour Party after its disastrous local election results.
Author Resource:- Sylvia Fontrellini is a full time carer for old people requiring washable briefs for adult, bed protection for incontinence and disposable nappies for adults.
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