Our non-caring government is to spend six months looking into social care to see how they can deal with the proposed £6billion shortfall in the system by 2028. They feel a radical shake up of the current system is required – as if the whole population if the UK didn’t know this already.
Personal and nursing care is free in Scotland, whereas Northern Ireland and Wales have the means-tested system that England has. This essentially means that if you own a house and/or have spent your life saving up, most of your assets will be taken by the local authority to pay for your care. If you haven’t bothered to do anything about savings, then the state will provide it for you.
Forecasters suggest that 25% of the UK’s population will be over 65 by 2030 and twice as many people will be over 85.
Gordon Brown said recently that the current means-tested system could seem unfair. The ‘could’ is an understatement; he should have said ‘is’. Ask anyone of the people who had their home taken away from them last year to pay for care in nursing homes.
“This is an issue at the heart of our ambition to create a fairer Britain. Of course, helping relatives is a challenge that most families rise to - however difficult it becomes,” he said.
“But that doesn’t make it any easier. Nor does it remove family worries about providing physical care that is needed - or take away people’s concerns that at some point in the future they may have to sell a treasured home to pay for their own care.
“It is essential that in future there is fairness for those who work hard and save for their retirement.”
As members of the general public we all hope that something can come out of the planned review. The previous prime minister conducted a similar review and then ignored its conclusions which stated that government should pay for care.
To see what you can do under the current rules, seek an appointment with an expert from LSUK who will carefully explain the options open to you. Action sooner rather than later will help you plan ahead of any government compulsory care tax.
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