Older renters still vulnerable despite recommendations

The Salvation Army today welcomes the long-term vision of the joint report on social care funding by the Health and Social Care and Housing, Communities and Local Government Committees, however remains concerned that the 25 percent of people over the age of 75 who don’t own their own home are still not being considered as an essential stakeholder in the overall future of the social care system, leaving them highly vulnerable. 

Head of Public Affairs for The Salvation Army, Dr Helen Cameron, says: “Care for older people is at crisis point so the call today from MPs for the introduction of new funding measures for adult social care, including the use of a ‘Social Care Premium’, is certainly a step in the right direction.

“Research we commissioned last month confirms that people over the age of 50 across the UK overwhelmingly favour a specific tax or insurance-based system to meet the costs of adult social care, rather than the assets-based system currently in place.

“Today’s report recognises that its proposed reforms are unlikely to be affordable immediately; it is therefore essential that the Government’s forthcoming green paper on adult social care provides explicit detail on how these reform measures can be made to benefit people without significant financial assets, including people who don’t own their own home, in both the short and long term. 

“Older renters often find themselves without choice over when and where they receive care, and their families are generally expected to pay top-up fees to overcome these difficulties. We’ve seen in our own care homes that the shortfall between available levels of funding and the true cost of care can be anything from £6,000 and £18,000 per year.

“We remain concerned that older renters are still not being recognised as an essential stakeholder in the review of adult social care. The select committees’ report highlights the need for a fundamental shift in narrative in order to recognise and meet the needs of everyone who requires adult social care, including people who do not have assets to help contribute to the cost of care in later life. 

“The committees’ recommended principles address many of our concerns around the future funding for adult social care, particularly risk pooling as a method of achieving overall consensus. However, we need to see more detail as part of the Government’s upcoming green paper to ensure that these recommendations will be of benefit to people without assets. Unless they are considered to be a key player in this debate, it is unlikely that we will achieve a system that is truly fair and sustainable for all.”