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Care for the elderly was put at the heart of Labour's re-election bid today with a pledge to give free help to those in most need.
Health Secretary Andy Burnham will fund personal care for up to 280,000 elderly and disabled people, regardless of their income, as a first step in the creation of a new National Care Service, it was announced in the Queen's Speech today.
A further 130,000 who need home care will also benefit from other measures, including adapting their homes so that they can carry on living in them for as long as possible.
The new system of targeted free care will begin next October. Ministers have only found funding for six months of its operation because the next spending review starts in spring 2011.
Funding for a much more expensive, £6 billion a year, scheme for all the elderly has yet to be decided.
Today's plans follow voter anger that the elderly are forced to sell their homes to pay for residential care.
Free care should be guaranteed to about 280,000 people who have the worst problems, such as Alzheimer's or Parkinson's diseases.
To qualify, others will have to show that they cannot dress, cook or bathe themselves.
Critics suggested the Government's moves were more political than substantive, with the Tories claiming that disability benefits were being cut to pay for the new system.
The first signs of a bitter battle over the issue came today when government sources contrasted their plans with Tory proposals to have an insurance scheme to fund residential care in return for a one-off £8,000 charge.
Labour believes that the Conservatives are in thrall to residential care home owners who have a vested interest.
“On average, people die two years after going into a care home. We believe the elderly want to stay at home if they can,” said one source.
Reader views (3)
Piffle. Inept spin yet again from Gordon McRuin. A reasonable estimate of the sum needed to provide proper care for the elderly( that I read recently) is several BILLION. This is a drop in the ocean - pitifully inadequate. Sheer elctioneering spin - fooling only fools.
The higher taxes will only be used to pay MP's more expenses and give Labour placement highly paid and golden pensioned positions in new ever costlier quangoes.
Meanwhile my mother in law's care is paid for by our dwindling family resources. We'll get no help. Despite the social services placing her in the specialist home they strongly 'suggested'.
In fact tbh your lucky if you can even find a home with a vacancy so it seems to us they can pretty much call the tune when it comes to their rates.
We spent around £50K on my fathers care- again our money so forgive me for being 150% certain that McClown is lying.
- Ethan, UK, 18/11/2009 16:58
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Oh Jes', not heard all this before somewhere.
Too, too, too late by far, but still spending our money with gusto.
Pathetic.
- Frank, Home Counties, England., 18/11/2009 16:51
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Sounds wonderful, but why has the government waited until the run-up to the next election before suggesting this? They have been in power long enough to have brought these measures into effect a long time ago. I suspect the critics are right; it does sound like political rhetoric.
- Graham Rodhouse, Helmond, Netherlands, 18/11/2009 15:22
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