Cost of care to jump £30k as homes cut food portions

A dramatic rise in the cost of care will force elderly people to pay as much as £30,000 in extra fees.

Amid surging inflation, care home charges are expected to rocket, rising 20pc to meet the soaring cost of energy, food and carers’ wages. Someone in a self-funded care home could be forced to find an additional £15,000 to £30,000 to cover the extra fees over the average three-year stay, according to William Jackson, of UK Care Guide, a specialist website.

Average care home fees could jump from about £25,000 a year to nearer £30,000, he estimated. Heating costs alone are typically about £1,000 per resident, he said. However, these costs may double during the energy crisis.

“The general costs associated with operating homes are going to go up. Many of the longer standing care homes are in older buildings that aren’t as energy efficient and ultimately these costs will be passed down,” Mr Jackson said.

‘Far too many older people and their families are already struggling financially’

Care homes have become “more inventive” with their food provision, with some clamping down on portion sizes to limit food waste and others reducing menu choice. Those that rely on council funding are more at risk of closure, as they are unlikely to get extra funding, he warned.

Extreme staffing shortages have forced care homes to increase carer wages. HC- One, one of Britain’s largest care providers, announced a £17m investment in staff pay last December.

Caroline Abrahams of Age UK, the charity, said it was inevitable already high social care fees would rise further. “Far too many older people and their families are already struggling without the care they need, or watching in horror as their hard- earned money vanishes into sky-high care bills,” she said.

Further cost increases will make it even harder for workers to put enough aside for later life. Last week, Telegraph Money revealed savers will face hefty 55pc pension tax charges as it now costs more to pay for care and fund retirement than can be saved into a pension without penalty.