Fourteen people a day are being wiped out financially by care bills, new research has revealed today.
A year after the prime minister pledged no one would have to sell their home to pay for care, Age UK found more than 5,000 people had run down their savings and assets to pay for social care.
The number of ‘self funders with depleted funds’ has increased by 37% compared to the previous year, the analysis showed.
Caroline Abrahams, charity director for Age UK, said: ‘With 14 people a day being ruined due to sky high care bills and self-funders spending more than £7bn on care in a year it’s clear that the unlucky individuals who need care face far too high a price.
’The obvious solution is for us all to share the risk of developing care needs by paying into a national fund, like we do with the NHS.’
Cllr Paulette Hamilton, vice chair of the Local Government Association’s Community Wellbeing Board, said: ‘Coronavirus has raised the profile and value of social care in its own right and we have been calling for a sustainable funding settlement for adult social care, since long before the current crisis.
’Part of this solution needs to consider how best to address the recognised need for greater fairness in how care is paid for and funded. We look forward to when the cross-party talks on the future of social care finally begin.’
