Reforms won’t overcome social care funding Challenge

Leading think tank, the King’s Fund, warned last month that the reforms to adult social care under the Care and Support Bill (CCMn July 2012) and the implementation of the Dilnot fee cap will not solve the funding challenge for social care. In its report Paying for Social Care Beyond Dilnot, the King’s Fund argues that, while a cap will provide welcome protection for people from the catastrophic costs associated with long stays in residential care, much more should be done to meet mounting financial pressures. The report stated that with spending continuing to fall and demand for services increasing due to demographic pressures, there needs to be a stronger focus on the challenge of eligibility – ensuring that more people are able to access the right level of support. It also raised concerns that unmet need, and its impact on carers, will place further pressure on an NHS already under significant strain, and argued that it is time to look beyond the Dilnot report at how to secure enough resources to meet current and future needs. The report identifies four main priority areas, which build on the foundations of Dilnot’s recommendations (CCMn July 2011) and which could provide a new roadmap for social care reform: