Mike Hancock News
Dilnot Commission Key Recommendations
Dilnot-key recommendations:
Capped cost system:
Key recommendations:
To protect people from extreme care costs we recommend capping the lifetime contribution to adult social care costs that any individual needs to make at around £35,000. Where an individual's care costs exceeded the cap, they would be eligible for full support from the state. (Main report p.5)
We have considered carefully the level at which the cap should be set and have concluded that it should be between £25,000 and £50,000. (Main report, p.22)
We believe that those who developed a care and support need during their working life should be assessed in broadly the same way as an older person. However, in setting the cap, we think it should be tiered in a way which reflects differentials in the likely ability to accumulate assets. (Main report, p. 24)
Means test threshold;
Key recommendation:
...means tested support should continue for those of lower means, and the asset threshold for those in residential care beyond which no means tested help is given should increase from £23,350 to £100,000. (Main report, p. 5)
Disability benefits:
Key recommendations:
We recommend that Government considers how better to align benefits with the reformed social care funding system; and that the Attendance Allowance should be re-branded to clarify its purpose. (Main report, p. 6)
In addition to AA and DLA, there are many other benefits which individuals or carers claim. [...] Where possible, the Commission urges the Government to consider how to simplify the system-through better alignment or integration of funding streams. (Main report, p.60)
Residential Care:
Key recommendations:
People should contribute a standard amount to cover their general living costs, like food and accommodation, in residential care. We believe a figure in the range of £7,000 to £10,000 is appropriate, (Main report, p.6)
We think that the PEA should continue, but we believe that the current allowance is low. We would encourage the Government to consider the case for increasing this in the future and then up rating it each year, in line with pensions. (Main report, p. 26).
Carers:
Key recommendations:
Carers should be supported by improved assessments, that take place alongside the assessment of the person being cared for, and which aim to ensure that impact on the carer is manageable and sustainable. We support the proposals set out by the Law Commission to give carers new legal rights to services and improve carers' assessments. (Main report, p. 6)
The Government should ensure carers have better information and advice about support and available services. (Main report, p. 6)
Carers' assessments should also be portable. (Main report, p. 54)
Financial Products:
Key recommendations:
Clarifying the tax treatment of disability linked annuities could further encourage activity in this space and we recommend that the Government makes a clear statement that DLAs are permissible under current pension taxation rules. (Main report, p. 40)
The Commission recommends that the Government monitors the progress of NEST and the development of the private market under our proposals, before taking a decision on whether auto-enrolment into a long-term product is advisable in the future. (Evidence Pack, Part 3)
We recommend that the Financial Services Authority reviews the regulatory framework in the light of any funding reforms to ensure that it is appropriate and measures. It should also consider possible interactions with the regulation of pensions. (Evidence Pack, Part 3)
The Government should set up a working group of central government, local government, the financial services industry, the FSA and interested third sector organisations to consider how to a) enable the development of an effective market and b) support consumers in making sound choices. (Evidence Pack)
Deferred Payments:
Key recommendation:
At a minimum, the Commission recommends an extension to the current deferred payment scheme, so that it is a full, universal offer across the country. (Main report, p. 41)
Integration:
Key recommendation:
In reforming the funding of social care, the Government should review the scope for improving the integration of adult social care with other services in the wider care and support system. In particular, we believe it is important that there is improved integration of health and social care in order to deliver better outcomes for individuals and value for money from the state. (Main report, p. 7)
End of Life Care:
Key recommendations:
The Commission is broadly supportive of the direction of travel being taken by the Independent Palliative Care Funding Review, which is looking into the funding of end-of-life care. (Main report, p. 59)
NHS continuing Healthcare:
Key recommendations:
We are strongly supportive of the Law Commission's recommendation to put NHS Continuing Health Care on a firmer statutory footing. (Main report, p. 58)
Furthermore, as we are recommending a new national eligibility framework for social care, aimed at being more transparent and consistent, the Government may want to consider how this will work alongside the assessment process for Continuing Healthcare. (Main report, p. 58)
We think that the Government should also consider whether those in receipt of NHS Continuing Healthcare, can living in residential or nursing care, should also make a contribution towards their general living costs (Main report, p. 69)
Information and Advice:
Key recommendations:
To encourage people to plan ahead for their later life we recommend that the Government should invest in an awareness campaign. This should inform people of the new system and the importance of planning ahead. This campaign could be linked into the wider work to encourage pension savings. (Main report, p. 6)
The Government should develop a major new information and advice strategy to help when care needs arise. (Main report, p. 6)
Disabled Facilities Grant:
Key recommendation:
...it would be prudent for the Government to review the funding and operation of the Disabled Facilities Grant (DFG) as it takes forward its programme of reform. (Evidence Pack, Part 3)
The full report can be found here.
Please email any responses, views and opinions to hancockm@parliament.uk
Share this page:
