Following a consultation earlier this year, the Government is set to reform the social care system by making it more affordable for individuals, across England, to access.
From October 2023, a lifetime cap of £86,000 is set to be introduced on the amount people will spend on their personal care throughout their lifetimes.
The amount of support that people with lower incomes and financial assets will also be increased, in an attempt to make care more accessible.
Who is eligible for support?
The lifetime cap will be available to everyone. This means that if you require personal care during your lifetime, you will pay no more than £86,000 in total for the care, excluding any contributions from the state.
If the care that you require eventually exceeds this amount, local authorities will pay for any eligible care that you need.
The upper capital limit, which is the point at which individuals do not qualify for state support, will be increased to £100,000, through the Government’s extended means test.
If the value of your assets is below this amount, you will be eligible to receive support from the state with the costs of your personal care. This is a significant increase from the current threshold of £23,250.
In the case that your assets amount to more than £100,000, you will be required to pay the full fees for your personal care. However, if you reach the £86,000 limit, local authorities will pay for all eligible personal care costs.
For any individual with less than £20,000 in assets, they will not have to personally pay anything for the care that they require, and will be supported by the state.
As outlined by the Government, this will be made possible by grants being provided to local authorities through the Implementation Support Grant.
Do you need care support for yourself or a loved one? Don’t hesitate to get in touch to find out how we can help you.