2016 Cap on Care Costs | QCS

I am a Home Care Provider of Social Care. I read on the Community Care website that the way that care is funded is set to change in 2016. Will this affect me? – Rita

Sheila Scott
Answered by Sheila Scott

The Department of Health launched a consultation on 4 February:

Care Act 2014: How should we deliver the 2016 to cap care costs and manage appeals?

These are the most fundamental proposed changes to the funding of long term care that I have seen and the proposed changes will have an impact on all providers of care.

To give you a brief outline of the proposals that can be found at http://careact2016.dh.gov.uk/

The consultation is on the draft regulations and guidance needed to introduce the cap on care costs.

The site is straightforward to use and almost every section has a question at the end that you can give your views on (anonymously if want to).

This site is open for comments until 30 March 2015.

The sections dealt with on the website are:

Funding Reform

  • Cap on care costs: an overview
  • Measuring what counts towards the cap
  • Care accounts
  • Cap on care costs for working age adults
  • Daily living costs
  • Top-up payments
  • Extension to means-tested support

Appeals

  • The appeals system
  • Scope of the appeals system
  • Early resolution and independent review of appeals
  • Consistency of decision making on appeals
  • Timescales of the appeals process
  • Funding of appeals

This is a very important consultation for all providers of care. The key proposal is:

For the first time, a cap on care costs will be introduced and set at £72,000. It will provide protection and peace of mind to every single person in England.

You should note that this is only care costs. People living in a care home will have to pay their own “hotel” costs. It is very important that all service users understand that they will still have to pay some costs.

I am sure that there will be many questions around these proposals which I look forward to answering.

Best wishes,

Sheila Scott

About Sheila Scott

Sheila Scott OBE from National Care Association (NCA). Care is Sheila’s life; she possesses a strong command of the issues facing the care sector informed by her long career as a nursing professional, the owner and manager of a care business and as a leader in the care sector. 3. Read more

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