Councillors unimpressed by Brown’s care plan
An alliance of councillors from across the country has attacked Gordon Brown’s plans to expand care for the elderly.
In a letter to the Times newspaper 70 councillors with responsibility for social care provision argue that his pledge to provide free domiciliary care for the most needy – around 250,000 – is poorly conceived.
Campaign groups like the Association of Directors of Adult Social Services have argued the plans are based on underestimates of the total cost of caring for individuals.
The councillors go further, attacking the “major weaknesses” of the personal care at home bill which they say risks adding further strain to existing financial pressures on the system.
“It is also wrong to raise expectations among many of the most vulnerable in our society and their families that they may be in a position to benefit from these proposals when the reality may be significantly different,” the letter adds.
The prime minister told the King’s Fund on Monday that around half of all those receiving care in their homes would now be able to receive the service for free.
“I make no apology for saying that the central aim of reform should be to enable many more people to be cared for longer in their own homes,” he said.
“We have already set out our first care guarantee – that those with the highest needs will be supported in their homes, avoiding charges and fees, regardless of their means, benefiting from additional services to ensure they have the choice to avoid residential care if they want.”
Yesterday the Conservatives attacked the prime minister for failing to demonstrate how the national care service proposals would be paid for.
“Behind closed doors ministers are secretly planning a death tax of up to £20,000 per head which would be levied on the estates of grieving families,” shadow health secretary Andrew Lansley warned.
Health secretary Andy Burnham categorically denied ministers were considering the compulsory levy.
