The government’s proposed cap on social care costs would cost county councils £330m a year if introduced, new research has warned.
LaingBuisson was commissioned by the County Councils Network (CCN) to analyse the impact of the Conservative manifesto proposals for social care in England.
The report also found the proposal for a ‘single threshold’ - meaning no care user would be left with less than £100,000 in assets - would cost counties £308m a year.
It found the threshold would take many private fee payers into state support by as many as 56% on one county.
The report also warned private care home residents are being forced to subsidise the ‘broken’ care market by paying weekly fees nearly 50% higher than councils.
Cllr Colin Noble, CCN spokesman for health & social care said: ‘This report demonstrates the acute pressures facing care markets across England and the complexity of implementing reforms that do not simply pile further pressure on local care providers. Whilst well intentioned, they could inadvertently push care homes closer to financial crisis.
‘The additional social care money announced in March was welcome, and councils are using this resource innovatively in new care packages and to increase fees, but the reality is that this is not enough. Therefore, government should use the Autumn Budget to inject further cash into the system: with counties’ funding black hole in social care alone projected to reach £1.6bn by 2021, we will not be in a position to raise fees.’
A sector offer to help build cross-party consensus on the way forward for adult social care has been snubbed by the two main political parties, The MJ can reveal.
