Dilnot member: 'We will be disgusted if Government fails to act'
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Dilnot commission member Dame Jo Williams says the commission will be disgusted if the Government fails to act on its recommended reforms for care funding.
Last week, reports suggested that the Government would sideline proposals for a £35,000 cap on social care costs and an increase to the means-tested threshold from £23,250 to £100,000 over concerns about the level of funding required.
The commission, which published its recommendations this week, has costed the proposals at £1.7bn.
Launching the report, Will-iams said it is time to take the initiative on care funding to give people certainty when planning for care needs.
She said: “It is time for action. We genuinely hope and believe that the Government will publish a white paper by the end of the year setting out how it will respond to our report.
“Disappointment is not an adequate word to describe how we would feel if it fails to do so. Disgusted comes to mind but we hope it does not come to that.”
The report states that a white paper is expected from the Government by the end of 2011 although commission chair Andrew Dilnot said this week the commission would not be disappointed if the white paper was published at Easter.
Dilnot says he believes the reforms can be implemented by 2014.
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Readers' comments (1)
Tom Scott | 6 Jul 2011 10:57 pm
If implemented, the Dilnot report will create a complex and unworkable care system that will make us long for what we currently have.
It is misguided and appears to have been prepared by someone who does not really understand the problems in care, most of which it fails to solve.
It gives with one hand (a £100,000 asset protection) and then takes with another (tariff income) so harshly that people will be requesting monthly financial assessments.
It has three financial caps calculated on different assumptions running concurrently on the same capital.
And finally it fails to address the simple fact that the state pays to little for care.
If this is implemented, the entire care sector will end up where Southern Cross is now.
Let's hope the Government see sense. The care system is failing and needs reforming but this is the wrong reform.
We have put together a summary for IFA's to download at www.carefeesadvice,com/dilnot.html
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