Care home fees cap met with “ifs” and “buts”

Published: 08/11/2012

The proposed care home fees cap has been described as “too expensive” by new Health Minister, Jeremy Hunt.

Leading economist Andrew Dilnot recommended the government should cap the cost of care home fees at £35,000, a move which would cost the government £1.7bn. Mr Hunt, although “very keen” to implement a cap “if we possibly can”, has since suggested this figure is too high.

If a patient requires care for a social reason, as opposed to a health need, and they have assets equating to over £23,000, they are required to self fund their care. As a result, one in 10 people may face care home fees which total over £100,000.

There has been much confusion surrounding the eligibility of care home fees. In fact, Goldsmith Williams is currently helping hundreds of families who were potentially wrongly paying for care which should have been funded by their Primary Care Trust between 1 April 2004 and 31 March 2011.

Sadly the deadline to register a case for this period has now passed. However we are still able to help people:

• Reclaim care home fees paid between 1 April 2011 and 31 March 2012
• Progress a registered claim with the support of a legal professional
• Submit an appeal if your request for funding has been rejected by a PCT.

In addition to this, we also offer a legal help and advice service, designed for people who are, or have family members who are, going into residential care and are unsure if they are eligible for NHS continuing care. With care costing, on average, £27,404 a year, and latest news suggesting a cap is a long time off, it is essential that those who are eligible are assessed correctly.

Content correct at time of publication