Anger as 144,000 pay extra in care homes

A “MONUMENTAL injustice” is forcing nearly 144,000 selffunding care home residents to subsidise payments local councils are meant to make, it is claimed.

Former Pensions Minister Baroness Ros Altmann said care home owners are charging selffunders a premium to plug a shortfall from local authorities.

Around a third of residents (143,774) were paying for all or some of their care, while the remaining 248,153 were state funded in 2019/20. Official figures suggest people in wealthier areas with higher house prices were more likely to pay for their own care, usually by selling their properties.

Care homes in the most deprived parts of England have a smaller proportion of selffunders – 21.6 per cent compared to 53.8 per cent in the least deprived areas. Ms Altmann said: “By every yardstick this is a monumental injustice.”

Pete Davies, of the GMB union, said: “Many people are paying far above the rate that a local authority would pay for the same service. Ultimately, they are paying over the odds and often being plunged into debt to prop up a broken system.”

Helen Morrissey, of financial services giant Hargreaves Lansdown, said: “The figures show the sheer scale of the number of people who are paying the astronomical costs of care.

“Finding the money to pay for this over the long term can cause real strain on family finances.

Those with over £23,350 in savings must pay in full for care.

Last month the Government announced the Health and Social Care Levy with an £86,000 cap on care costs though people must still find money to cover accommodation.

But it does not start until April 2023.

People with assets up to £100,000 will also receive some state help. It is the first time the Office for National Statistics has published figures on self-funders.