Should Older People Pay for Social Services in the UK - Essay Example

Should older people pay for social services in the UK SHOULD OLDER PEOPLE PAY FOR SOCIAL SERVICES IN THE UK GRACE SARKAR Order No. 349698 11 January 2010 Table of Contents Introduction 3 The specifics 3 The current system 7 The debate 9 Conclusion 10 Sources 11 SHOULD OLDER PEOPLE PAY FOR SOCIAL SERVICES IN THE UK Introduction The growing population of older people in the United Kingdom is placing the government in a difficult situation on the issues of funding and care. The major ways of dealing with the issues have been general taxation, although there is so much taxation can do. The issues have been largely left with local councils to mean test and decide on the scope and range for funding. However, the councils are also not very clear about the issues and different councils have put up different levels of criteria to decide how much should be spent for each purpose. Caring for the aged, however, is not only about funding and the government. It is a joint responsibility of the family and society of whose members the elderly are. Youngsters and society play a vital role in the care and support for the elderly. Without these, funding and government support are of little avail. The specifics The aging population is growing and the government is facing the prospects of having to fund this aging category without upsetting the general population or the nation's reserves. Locally also, due to the enormity of the issue, local councils are pulling all stops to manage the responsibilities of the local aging population by means testing and analyzing the aging people's assets. "In England, an adult who is eligible to receive social care undergoes means-testing to determine how much they will be expected to contribute to the cost of their care. The means-testing rules are complex. As national rule for residential care, "an individual with assets of more than 22,250 in 2008/9 receives no public financial support. For individuals whose assets are, or fall below 22,250, an assessed income figure is calculated according to national rules that specify what types of income and assets should be included. All of that assessed income must then be paid towards the costs of residential care, except for a weekly personal expenses allowance of 21.15. Anyone who does not want to sell their home to pay care home fees can apply for a deferred payments agreement whereby the council in effect provides an interest-free loan until the agreement is terminated by the user (for instance if the property is sold) or up to 56 days after the death of the user. Local authorities have discretionary powers to agree this type of arrangement; no official data could be found on the total number or value of such schemes" (Funding adult social care in England, 2009). There are additional rules "that determine the charge made for care provided in an individual's own home. NHS nursing care is provided free in one's own home, and NHS Continuing Healthcare provides a number of so-called 'continuing care' services without means testing" (Funding adult social care in England, 2009). These facilities may appear attractive. However, it is not convincing to people in the United Kingdom. Irrespective of how much people save, they ultimately end up with a shoe string budget at the twilight years of their lives and majority of them find themselves requiring additional funds to make ends meet. In the circumstances, the question whether older people should pay for social care is not representative of facts. Suppose they are not in a position to pay for their social care, what is the alternative Statistics reveal that a lot of older adults hold assets above the mandatory figure of 22,250. "The rules regarding the means-testing of housing assets can particularly influence eligibility. If the value of the house was not included in the means-test, around 95,000 UK care home residents (24 per cent of all residents) would become eligible for public funding (Funding adult social care in England, 2009). This proves older adults do posses assets that could help them fund for their social care. The debate is serious enough to raise the question whether or not older people must be made to pay for social services on their behalf in the United Kingdom. Like any other community, the older people want to live as a thriving group and on their own terms. However, collectively their care and support could require "an extra 14 billion each year by 2026 to aid their growing numbers" (Ashcroft, Jane & Beresford, Peter, 2009). Nonetheless, it must be recognized that older people are prone to debilitating diseases and illnesses that makes life additionally difficult for them. They are also susceptible to weakening muscles and body organs and start requiring external help to carry on with their routine. In these circumstances, finance must be the last measure, although necessary, that are thrust upon them for their welfare. There are "around 2.5 million people aged over 65 in England. 30% of these have some difficulty with activities such as dressing, eating, washing and going to the toilet. Of these, around 1.2 million in 2007/8 used social care that was provided, purchased or supported by the local council" (Funding adult social care in England, 2009). While the government is vexed on the issue of funding, there are other issues that need to be addressed such as availability of skilled man power to address the needs of the elderly. It does not appear that funding is a major issue seeing majority of the elderly have invested sufficiently for their own homes which must take care of a huge portion of their bills. But statistic projections look daunting. The population of the elderly is growing. It is proving to be a strain on the economic dynamics of the nation. The government is under pressure to carry out budgetary cut-backs to keep the economy in good health (Conway, Edmund; 2009). The government is eyeing funds for the elderly as one of the account heads that needs to be pruned. Prima facie, the government is attempting to paint a rosy picture on the issue. The government website declares, "The Department's policy for older people and their carers seeks to promote social inclusion and control over their lives, ensuring respect and choice. This enables older people to live independently for as long as possible, benefit from tailored care and support, and experience an enhanced quality of life" (Older people, 2009). Basically, caring for the elderly is a domestic issue and must be settled within the four walls of the family, failing which the government could step in initially as a moral supervisor. Later, the government could extend even financial assistance, should the need arise. But the position in the United Kingdom is unique because the government is treating care and support of the elderly as a national priority. Having extended care and support all these years, the government is now finding it difficult to continue funding the older people and is framing policies and procedures that is making care and support for the elderly more complex and discouraging. The political cost for abdicating from the responsibility of caring for the elderly will be heavy for any party. Thus, political parties in the United Kingdom will continue to make the right noises when it comes to caring for the aged. However, on the ground level, they are following the pragmatic, perhaps platonic, policy of providing only for genuine needs. The local councils are empowered for decisions on majority of the issues touching the elderly. Thus, depending on the demography of the region the councils work out the priorities that provide succor for the elderly in their respective regions (Health and social care assessments, 2010). The current system "The current system for funding adult social care in England has been criticised as unfair, complex and financially unsustainable. There are significant local variations in who is eligible for what kinds of support and a host of complicated local and national rules that apply to the funding of different elements of social care services. "Increases in life expectancy, including among younger adults with physical and learning disabilities, mean that demand for these services is set to increase significantly in the coming decades, calling into doubt whether the current system can meet future need" (Funding adult social care in England, 2009). Anchor Trust's, England's largest not-for-profit provider of retirement housing and care homes, "favored model is a partnership approach where the cost of care in old age is shared between state and individual, with insurance and equity release options key mechanisms in a funding model of the future. Under this approach, the Government predicts that a 65-year-old in England, who will typically require care and support that costs on average 30,000 during their retirement, might need to pay about 20,000" (Ashcroft, Jane & Beresford, Peter, 2009). "Social care was traditionally provided in the form of services determined and delivered by local councils. Now local authorities contract out their services to different providers." (Funding adult social care in England, 2009) "The government now has a program to encourage 'personalization' of social care. This gives users greater personal choice and control over state-subsidized social care services. A number of options have been introduced for how the funding is made available. "Direct payments provide an individual with cash equivalent of the value of the social care package to spend on their own care. There are certain condition on this rule such as the user cannot use the money to pay cohabiting spouse/relatives." (Funding adult social care in England, 2009) These rules make social care complex and difficult. There must be some flexibility in social care funding. Without such flexibility, it will become difficult for the aged to live honorably. The debate The government is increasingly looking at the issue of care and support of the elderly from pecuniary viewpoints. If funding is a major governmental issue, care and support are the vital needs for the elderly. It is important that the government consider the actual needs as those of care and support. Ways and means of obtaining funds could be sorted out with the elderly individuals from their properties, and a great number of them do have properties. Actually, the missing link in caring for the elderly is the family and society. If familial support and society's concern are in place, the elderly will not be required to knock on government's doors for support of all kinds. In the absence of these, the elderly will not be left with any alternative other than seek help from the government. The government is not wrong on maintaining appropriate vigil over the spending on care and support for the elders. Social issues such as strong and healthy family lives are necessary to cope with the stress of the elderly. Family, society and the government share the responsibility for the care and support of the elderly. The family and the government are major stakeholders. Aging is also the time when people look for solace in religious and social activities. The church is one institution that makes the major impact on the aging population. However, the government is not seen anywhere involving the church in helping with the cause for the aged. Growing population of the aged is the main crux of the problem. Conclusion The question whether the aged must pay for social care cannot be seen in isolation. Care must be there irrespective of the capability of the elderly to pay. Having said this, one must first of all see the roles family and society plays on care for the elderly. Indifference on the part of the family and society leave a gap that the government will find difficult to fill up. Sources: Ashcroft, Jane & Beresford, Peter; Should older people pay for social care 13 November 2009, http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/industry_sectors/public_sector/article6914719.ece Conway, Edmund; What state is the UK economy in 29 June 2009, http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/economics/5689553/What-state-is-the-UK-Economy-in.html Flynn, Norman; Public Sector Management, http://books.google.com/booksid=SWnYZPhdPdUC&pg=PA51&lpg=PA51&dq=Public+Sector+Management,+N+Flynn&source=bl&ots=GnIodlQ5xs&sig=h8ikHuhN75cWobco7Z9UxGIChTU&hl=en&ei=cLpES9S-GYqgkQXSyIn1CA&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=7&ved=0CB0Q6AEwBg#v=onepage&q=&f=false Funding adult social care in England, March 2009, www.kingsfund.org.uk/document.rmid=8243 Health and social care assessments, 06 January 2010, http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/DisabledPeople/HealthAndSupport/ArrangingHealthAndSocialCare/DG_4000436 Older people, 06 January 2009, Department of Health, http://www.dh.gov.uk/en/SocialCare/Deliveringadultsocialcare/Olderpeople/index.htm Shaping the Future of Care Together, 14 July 2009, http://www.disabilityalliance.org/care6.htm Read More