A definition of care and support
Social care supports people of all ages with certain physical, cognitive
or age-related conditions in carrying out personal care or domestic
routines. It helps people to sustain employment in paid or unpaid
work, education, learning, leisure and other social support systems.
It supports people in building social relationships and participating
fully in society.
Social care is part of a wider care and support system, which includes
social care, the NHS, the social security system, housing support and
public health services. It also includes the services provided by thirdsector
organisations, and the invaluable contribution made by carers
and volunteers. The state pension and private financial products
also provide income that is used for care and support needs. The
Commission believes it is important to look at care and support in
the round – firstly, because we know that people want to receive a
coherent package of support that is shaped around them, not funding
streams and, secondly, because aligned and integrated services offer
better value for money.
Our views on the level of funding for social care
We need to spend more on social care – both now and in the future.
This needs to come from both individuals and the state.
→ We think the reforms we have set out will help people to manage their
contribution better, for example by helping people to plan and prepare,
and by encouraging the development of new financial products.
Individuals and families will need to consider how best to meet their
contribution. Many of the people we have spoken to, and who submitted
evidence to the Commission, have said that it is not unreasonable that
people should plan and prepare to meet some care costs as they grow
older. To support this, under our proposals, disability benefits will
continue as now, we recommend that there should be a more widely
available deferred payment scheme, and we anticipate that new financial
products would emerge.
Clearly, the state will need to continue to support the vast majority of
younger people with care and support needs.
→ The Government should both implement our reforms and ensure that
there is sufficient, and sustainable, funding for local authorities. Local
authorities will need to be able to manage existing pressures as well as
the new requirements resulting from our reforms.
The Government must devote greater resources to the adult social care
system. As well as funding for new reforms, additional public funding for
the means-tested system is urgently required. The Commission recognises
the Government’s commitment to social care in the latest spending
review settlement; however, the impact of the wider local government
settlement appears to have meant that the additional resources have not
found their way to social care budgets in some areas. We suggest that the
resources made available locally for adult social care each year should be
transparent. Any periodic review of local government financing should
have regard to the importance of the sustainability of funding for adult
social care.
→ We estimate that our recommended changes to the funding system
would cost from around £1.3 billion for a cap of £50,000 to £2.2 billion
for a cap of £25,000. (Public expenditure cost (in 2010/11 prices) were our recommended changes fully
implemented in 2010/1
The devolved Governments are responsible for social care so this just covers England.
https://www.wp.dh.gov.uk/carecommission/files/2011/07/Fairer-Care-Funding-Report.pdf