Shropshire Star

Letter: It's vital people are given all the facts on care benefit cap

The £72,000 care cap announced by the Government will only benefit one in eight elderly people.

Published

Although this news does not surprise me, residents across Shropshire need to be fully-educated on the implications of this cap on care benefits to enable them to make provisions for their own future.

The figure is actually rather misleading, and will only be allocated to those that require care to meet substantial or critical needs, by which point many individuals would have spent a considerable amount of their own funds. Any costs related to living expenses, 'hotel costs' such as accommodation and food, or any support around the home or with personal care tasks are not included in the cap.

It is essential for Shropshire residents to have all the correct information so they can plan their care needs for the future, and that they are aware of the true cost of high-quality care, whether residential or domiciliary.

Elderly individuals also should be provided with the opportunity to choose their care provider, as this choice gives real control back to the individual at a time when they may feel completely helpless.

Care providers vary, so making provisions will ensure they receive the very best quality of care, instead of it being left to their local authority. If this did not happen, the burden of costs and the lack of support from the state, will see more and more pressure applied to relatives to become carers.

Dr Hannah MacKechnie, Radfield Home Care, Shrewsbury

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