contribution by Richard Shrubb

Last month the OECD published a report called Help Wanted. It looked at social care provision across member countries, and showed a worrying trend of half-hearted measures and governments sticking their heads in the sand.

Getting these policies right, it says, needs to start now, because the challenge to implementing sustainable, responsive and fair long-term care policies is only going to get bigger and bigger. The May 2010 Coalition Agreement stated that a commission should be set up to look at social care for the elderly.
But where is it?

The Conservative Manifesto suggested a national “Social Care Service” should be set up. Rather than actions they have resorted to talking about it:

We will establish a commission on long-term care, to report within a year. The commission will consider a range of ideas, including … a partnership scheme as proposed by Derek Wanless.

Wanless explains it would:

provide people with a free-of-charge minimum guaranteed amount of care
…
Individuals can then make contributions matched by the state (up to a limit): in the model, every pound that people contribute is matched by a pound from the state until the benchmark care package is achieved. Those on low incomes would be supported in making additional contributions through the benefits system.

UK national experience suggests, as with the ‘Pensions Time Bomb’ caused by people not setting up private pension schemes, that a voluntary model won’t work for the most part.

The OECD states that other countries have at least had the foresight that the UK has not.

It calls for a universal Long-term Care (LTC) system in its member countries.

Moving towards universal LTC benefits is desirable on access grounds. Uncertainly with respect to whether, when, and for how long an individual might need LTC services suggests that pooling the financial risk associated with long-term care is a more efficient solution than relying on out-of-pocket payments.

The Commission has yet to report back. This is one of the key issues of our generation, and yet the Coalition government has said little about it since election.

Reader comments

1. Liberal Conspiracy

   Why is this government so silent on social care and its impact? http://bit.ly/jfATry

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3. BendyGirl

   Why is this government so silent on social care and its impact? | Liberal Conspiracy http://t.co/o4C3ag8 via @libcon

4. john

   Why is this government so silent on social care and its impact? http://bit.ly/jfATry