The Department of Health have today published a consultation on draft regulations and guidance to implement the cap on care costs. The cap is due to be introduced from April 2016 under the Care Act 2014.

Responding to the publication of the consultation, Richard Hawkes, Chair of the Care & Support Alliance said of the cap:

“One-in-three people have experience of care – but polling shows the public has no confidence in the system.

“The cap on costs addresses only one small part of the problem.

“The real issue is that chronic underfunding has seen dramatic year-on-year rationing of social care support for older and disabled people.

“This is important because the cap on costs only kicks in if you are eligible for social care. So older and disabled people who are excluded from the social care system are also frozen out of the cap on costs.

“Every day, our organisations hear horror stories of people who struggle to get the support they need to simply get up, get dressed and get out of the house. This has a huge impact on carers, who we know are struggling right now.

“The health service picks up the pieces when people become isolated, can’t live on their own and slip into crisis.

“As more and more of us need care, and fewer and fewer of us get it, the Government needs to fund care properly, as well the health system. As health experts argue, anything else is a false economy.”

The Care & Support Alliance will be responding to the consultation in due course.

The consultation is open from 4 February to 30 March: https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/care-act-2014-cap-on-care-costs-and-appeals