The Government has today published its proposals for who will and who won’t get social care from 2015 under the new Care Act, introducing new national criteria for social care eligibility.
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/care-act-2014-launch-of-care-and-support-consultation
Responding to the publication of the draft regulations and guidance for implementation of part 1 of the Care Act, Richard Hawkes, Chair of the Care and Support Alliance, said:
“Millions of people who struggle with day-to-day tasks face a battle to get the quality of care they need.
“The Government has hailed the Care Act as bringing in a radical new system that promotes wellbeing and integration.
“But the Government has passed up the chance to drive through a genuinely preventative system. It has instead hardwired the year-on-year rationing that’s seen people squeezed out of the system.
“Without that help people’s lives fall apart. This will also place unbearable pressure on family carers.
“Sitting behind this issue is a story of chronic underfunding that has seen councils restrict who they give care to.
“There is still a chance to make a change. The Government must be bold, invest in care and create a care system that gives older and disabled people – and the families who care for them – the support they need to live well.
“If the Government gets this decision right, the passing of the Act will create a lasting legacy.”