Central government want council tax rise to fund elderly care.

[jane2008]

I believe it's covered by housing benefits for pensioners who meet the criteria.

http://www.sheffieldhomes.org.uk/myHome/MovingHome/ShelteredHousing/WhatAreTheBenefitsAndCosts.aspx

 

Information about help and support to remain at home here: https://www.sheffield.gov.uk/caresupport/adult/support-available/support-at-home.html

 

I hope this may be useful Jane.

 

Thank you, Ms Macbeth.

[iansheff]

Just read an article that says Sheffield area ranks 257 out of 326 council areas in England for potential extra social care funding for the elderly. The City of London area area ranks 1 out of 326 council areas in England for potential extra social care funding for the elderly.

The 3% tax rise in the London area would work out at £162.34 extra for every person over 65 where as in Sheffield the 3% tax rise would only raise £64.42 per person, in East Lindsey it is only £45 pp.

Source: International Longevity Centre - UK

 

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/how-much-social-care-funding-9468888

[Harrystottle]

As a country we're slowly running out of money to fund the welfare state, or so it seems to me.

 

It was sold as "cradle to grave care", but now we're having to pay for more of it directly rather than through taxation. Pay the dentist, pay for your prescription, sell your house if you have to go into a nursing home in your old age. My sister in laws boyfriend is having to pay for his own physio after having a stroke.

 

One thing that does annoy me is that the form to fill in for claiming carer's allowance is massive and deliberately designed to put people off filling it in and finding reasons for denying them the allowance when they have.

 

I can see the time coming when euthanasia is not only allowed, but encouraged. "You've had a good innings Mrs Jones; with resources so scarce these days wouldn't it be fairer if we could spend more of them on the young...?"

[spilldig]

As a country we're slowly running out of money to fund the welfare state, or so it seems to me.

 

It was sold as "cradle to grave care", but now we're having to pay for more of it directly rather than through taxation. Pay the dentist, pay for your prescription, sell your house if you have to go into a nursing home in your old age. My sister in laws boyfriend is having to pay for his own physio after having a stroke.

 

One thing that does annoy me is that the form to fill in for claiming carer's allowance is massive and deliberately designed to put people off filling it in and finding reasons for denying them the allowance when they have.

 

I can see the time coming when euthanasia is not only allowed, but encouraged. "You've had a good innings Mrs Jones; with resources so scarce these days wouldn't it be fairer if we could spend more of them on the young...?"

 

As far as euthanasia goes, with the state of the NHS I don't think anyone will have to bother with a trip to Switzerland in the future.

[Ms Macbeth]

As a country we're slowly running out of money to fund the welfare state, or so it seems to me.

 

It was sold as "cradle to grave care", but now we're having to pay for more of it directly rather than through taxation. Pay the dentist, pay for your prescription, sell your house if you have to go into a nursing home in your old age. My sister in laws boyfriend is having to pay for his own physio after having a stroke.

 

One thing that does annoy me is that the form to fill in for claiming carer's allowance is massive and deliberately designed to put people off filling it in and finding reasons for denying them the allowance when they have.

 

I can see the time coming when euthanasia is not only allowed, but encouraged. "You've had a good innings Mrs Jones; with resources so scarce these days wouldn't it be fairer if we could spend more of them on the young...?"

 

Cradle to grave was a lot shorter when the NHS was introduced. I've done a bit of family history research, in my husbands family only one of his grandparents made retirement age, and he died at 68. The other three didn't make 50. Pensions were fairly minimal and other benefits were rare. People were more static so family members tended to be on hand to help each other.

 

I am a pensioner, but don't get anywhere near the basic state pension, as I was a stay at home mum, then a part time worker for a while, so don't have the necessary 39 years (as was required for women when I retired) for a full state pension. In my later years I paid into an occupational pension, which takes my income to little more than pension credit. The way benefits and means testing works in the UK doesn't encourage lower paid people to save for retirement. I'm not sure what any government can do other than increase taxes in some form and ring fence the money. Local income tax perhaps?

[Bob Arctor]

Sheltered housing could be a solution, has he considered it? Independent accommodation but with communal facilities and available support. As the ageing population continues to increase we're going to have more and more older people living in isolation. For many of us, moving into appropriate accommodation would delay the need for more intensive care/nursing homes, and it would also reduce bed blocking in the NHS.

 

The amount of support available in sheltered housing these days is very low, certainly not enough to replace the support that some people need from Social Care. Each sheltered housing scheme used to have its own warden, now wardens cover several schemes each. It is still helpful to people with very low level needs but no help to people who should be getting social care support, sadly.

[Janus]

As a country we're slowly running out of money to fund the welfare state, or so it seems to me.

 

One thing that does annoy me is that the form to fill in for claiming carer's allowance is massive and deliberately designed to put people off filling it in and finding reasons for denying them the allowance when they have.

 

I was aware that it is like that when claiming other benefits like Esa/DLA/PiP etc. I always understood that carers that got the allowance actually saved the authorities money. ? I wonder why they want to make claiming for carer`s allowance so difficult?

[Ms Macbeth]

The amount of support available in sheltered housing these days is very low, certainly not enough to replace the support that some people need from Social Care. Each sheltered housing scheme used to have its own warden, now wardens cover several schemes each. It is still helpful to people with very low level needs but no help to people who should be getting social care support, sadly.

 

Fair point. However, I feel that for some, living in sheltered type housing, even with its very low level of intervention, can alleviate loneliness and isolation, and can delay declining health. I visited this Extra Care scheme, and thought the concept was pretty good compared to basic sheltered schemes. http://www.housingcare.org/housing-care/facility-info-87423-guildford-grange-norfolk-park-england.aspx

 

Quite a few housing associations offer similar sorts of options.

Edited December 21, 2016 by Ms Macbeth
Sp

[Bob Arctor]

Fair point. However, I feel that for some, living in sheltered typ housing, even with its very low level of intervention, can alleviate loneliness and isolation, and can delay declining health. I visited this Extra Care scheme, and though he concept was pretty good compared to basic sheltered schemes. http://www.housingcare.org/housing-care/facility-info-87423-guildford-grange-norfolk-park-england.aspx

 

Quite a few housing associations offer similar sorts of options.

 

Thanks for linking to that, I'm on my phone so can't post links at the moment. Extra care is a good and popular model, however the care element has to be funded by social care (unless you are well off enough to pay for it yourself) which rather brings us back to where we started. Modest rises in council tax are not going to be nearly enough to plug the funding black hole, and will also make people on benefits worse off because they now have to pay some council tax. Central government needs to urgently give a large amount of money to councils to pay for social care. Tory councils are saying this too.

 

I agree with your points re: sheltered housing, they are designed to reduce isolation.

[El Cid]

I am a pensioner, but don't get anywhere near the basic state pension, as I was a stay at home mum, then a part time worker for a while, so don't have the necessary 39 years (as was required for women when I retired) for a full state pension. In my later years I paid into an occupational pension, which takes my income to little more than pension credit. The way benefits and means testing works in the UK doesn't encourage lower paid people to save for retirement. I'm not sure what any government can do other than increase taxes in some form and ring fence the money. Local income tax perhaps?

 

I am surprised to read - "The big difference in the new system is that the ability to claim a pension based on a husband or wife’s contributions has been abolished in the vast majority of cases." this used to be the case.

 

This whole care issue is the fault of poor pensions; if your pension is not generous enough, then the NHS should pay for the more serious cases.