England’s means-tested adult social care system has been ‘left behind’ that of other developed countries, an older people’s charity has found.
A new report commissioned by Age UK compares the different approaches to long-term care taken by Italy, Spain, France, Germany and Japan.
While the report notes that meeting the care needs of an ageing population is a challenge in all of these countries, most of them have ‘grasped the nettle’ over the last 25 years and implemented significant reforms.
England’s adult social care system, however, remains ‘broadly unchanged’, despite two Government consultations, two official Commissions, five Green or White Papers and one Act of Parliament.
Age UK’s report found that England has a stricter means test than the other countries examined in the report.
England has a fixed means test limit for all long-term care services, meaning anyone with savings or assets above £23,250 has to pay all the costs of their long-term care.
Those with savings and assets below the £14,250 threshold are also still expected to pay a contribution towards the costs of their care through a deduction from their State Pension.
Other countries have more progressive systems, according to the charity.
Germany, for example, provides a non-means tested basic level of support, while Japan caps the level of co-payment for all at 10% and France has a more generous and gradual means test.
Furthermore, the capital thresholds of means testing in England (£14,250 to £23,250) have not changed in nearly a decade.
If the value of the means test had risen in line with inflation the upper level would be £25,559 today.
This means there has, effectively, been a 9% stealth cut over the last ten years.
Age UK’s research also found English citizens have to make high levels of out-of-pocket payments to fund their own care.
It also discovered that there is less risk pooling than other countries for the non-health aspects of the whole person care that people often require.
‘Sadly, this new report shows that England has been left behind in the race to update the funding of care for older people, compared to some other similar nations,’ said Caroline Abrahams, charity director at Age UK.
‘As a result, our older people and their families are paying more and bearing a lot more of the risk of needing expensive long term care.
‘What’s more, the freezing of thresholds and allowances in recent years has made our offer to older people in this country even stingier.’
Cllr James Jamieson, vice chairman of the Local Government Association, said: 'This report helps to stimulate the public debate we are leading on how to provide a long-term solution to funding adult social care to rescue a system in crisis.
'Adult social care is at breaking point due to years of underfunding, rising demand and costs for care and support.'
