Residential care policy a disgrace
David Cameron backed a £35,000 cap on residential care for the elderly. But it now seems that it could be as high as £60,000 to £75,000.
On top of this are accommodation costs. Only those whose assets are less than £23,500 will receive free care.
Last July, economist Andrew Dilnot said there should be a cap on what the elderly have to pay, with the state paying the rest. He suggested a lifetime cap of £35,000, but that he would have been happy if it was £50,000. But it would only cover nursing and personal care and not accommodation costs.
He suggested a separate annual cap for accommodation of £7,000 to £10,000.
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If it was not capped at £35,000, this would cost the Treasury £1.7billion a year, which is why the Government now wants a higher lifetime cap of £60,000 to £75,000, not including accommodation costs.
Mr Dilnot also suggested that the asset threshold of £23,500 for free care should be increased to £100,000.
It is a disgrace that the elderly, who have worked hard all their life are then forced to sell their homes to pay for care.
Yes, it is a difficult situation, as the population is ageing rapidly.
At the moment, there are almost a million pensioners who are still working. In the last year alone, that figure increased by nearly 100,000.
Kevin Fletcher, Coalville.
The article "I've told you, don't phone me while I'm out robbing"(Mercury, December 26) concerning the burglar with an incriminating text message on his phone reminded me of a similar incident reported in an in-house police magazine earlier this year.
Two Bedfordshire officers were booking in a driver who had been arrested for drink-driving; as they were putting his possessions into the property bag prior to putting him into cell for the night, one of the officers noticed a text message on the man's phone and asked him if he wanted to read it.
The prisoner declined, saying "No, I usually ignore the rubbish that the missus sends me."
The officer suggested that the prisoner might like to read this one and handed him the phone. The message was: "Don't drive home, pigs w8ting 4 u round corner."
Don Tallis, Wigston.
The first duty and loyalty of an MP is to his or her constituents – whomsoever they may be.
An MP must not be seen to work for those in any other constituency. So what, may I ask, Is Keith Vaz doing with the family of the nurse who died?
They live in Bristol – quite some distance from Leicester East.
His name and face have been prominent in the media coverage of the tragedy.
I, for one, want to know why. Is it too much to hope that he would do the same for us in Leicester East?
Or am I hoping for the impossible? Will he answer, I wonder? I'm not holding my breath on that.
John Burrows, Leicester.
Comments
by talliman
Wednesday, January 02 2013, 12:30PM
“To Spalding1944
The only reason that Vaz has become involved with the unfortunate nurrse's family is because they are black. This will enhance Vaz's profile give him free publicity and bring a few exta votes in which is of course the main reason for his involvement.”
by Kohelet
Monday, December 31 2012, 7:13PM
“"It is a disgrace that the elderly, who have worked hard all their life are then forced to sell their homes to pay for care"
So do we exclude all homes as assets then? Middle aged children get an inheritance while tax payers have a bigger bill to pay.”
by spalding1944
Monday, December 31 2012, 5:29PM
“John Burrows- I think you will find that the family asked Mr Vaz for his help as leader of some committee or other ( I forget which ) which deals with such things. I normally don't agree with Mr Vaz but in this case I do”