Wirral Council has moved to implement the Government’s new social care reforms that the local authority said would make end-of-life care less expensive and more accessible.
Jason Oxley, Assistant Director Health & Care Outcomes, said people “will not have to sell their family home to meet their care costs” under the new reforms.
He said new caps meant people “shouldn't pay more than £86,000 towards their care during their lifetime” and will “protect people from devastating, unlimited care costs.”
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The reforms will introduce a new cap of £86,000 which will be implemented from October 2023. Up until now, the potential costs for adult social care was unlimited. Thresholds for which councils will fund care costs has also been increased by more than £5,000 to £20,000.
The point where someone is responsible for all of their care has also been increased to £100,000 meaning people with less than £100,000 will have some or all of their care funded by money from Wirral Council.
Officers told councillors this would make the system fairer, more accessible with more people entitled to council-subsidised social care, and more generous.
The major reforms were intended to be paid for using the health and social care levy, proposed under Boris Johnson, but this was repealed under outgoing Prime Minister Liz Truss. Officers told councillors the Government had pledged funding would remain the same without the levy but this could change.
The reforms have to be implemented by the council as part of its legally required duties under the 2014 Care Act and will have a huge impact on the council’s budget with costs increasing significantly.
Over 10 years, the impact to the council’s budget for social care because of the reforms will be between £248m and £269m with at least £107m of that related directly to them.
Cllr Angela Davies said she was concerned about the council’s online focus when it came to people approaching the council about paying for social care and wanted to know “that safety net is there” for people “who don’t do digital.” Officers said online referrals won’t be mandatory and “won’t exclude people from accessing what they need to access.”
Currently in Wirral 1738 people live in care homes funded by the Council and a further 950 people would come forward once the reforms are brought in. Since 2019, the costs for residential and nursing care to the council has been more than £188m.
Adult social care is one of the biggest contributors to the council’s increasing deficit of a projected £49m with £13m from just adult social care alone.
Covid-19 also continues to have an impact with 14 care homes not accepting or restricting new referrals due to current outbreaks with the number increasing.
Councillors also agreed to extend a contract with the Cheshire and Wirral NHS partnership for social care to 2024 after they were told that not doing so would cause “anxiety” for staff and lead to more carers leaving the NHS for other employers.
Cllr Angela Davies said she was concerned about a low number of places for mental health and more specialist nursing.
Both Cllrs Jo Bird and Phil Gilchrist challenged officers over the rate of pay for some care staff. Cllr Bird argued some were paid below the real living wage while Cllr Gilchrist said he had seen adverts for supermarket workers “earning well above the rate” carers were getting.
Councillors also approved a report related to a target to achieve a target for 725 units for care housing by 2026 for elderly people and disabled people to live independently. 113 people are currently on the waiting list.
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