Councils rely on ‘hidden tax’ in elderly care

Data in the latest Care of Elderly People UK Market Survey shows that 175,000 older residents in UK independent sector care homes (43.4%) paid the full costs of their long term care fees in 2012. A further 56,000 (14%), while being supported by councils, also relied on top-ups’ from family or friends. This means that a total of 231,000 older residents were paying in full or in part from their own or their families’ resources – this marks a record high of 57% of all (403,000) older residents of independent sector care homes in the UK. The remaining 43% of residents either had their fees paid in full by councils (143,000) or by the NHS under the continuing healthcare programme (29,000). Commenting on the findings, Laing & Buisson chief executive William Laing predicted a further shift to private pay in the future, telling CCMn: The private payers’ share is projected to continue growing in the future as the rate of owner occupation continues to expand among the very old population at risk of entering care homes. Meanwhile, the quasi-private, top-up market will be reinforced by the minimal or zero local authority fee uplifts which look likely to continue in the medium term.’