What Is The Fairer Charging Policy?
Answer: Charging for home care services in the UK is based on a person’s ability to pay. This means that people with high incomes will pay more for home care services than those with low incomes.
This charging policy can be seen as fairer because it ensures that those who can afford to pay more for home care services do so, and it also means that those who cannot afford to pay anything do not have to. It is important to note, however, that there are some home care services which are free of charge, regardless of a person’s income level.
The UK Government published the Better Care Fund in 2014. The aim of this fund is to help people in England remain independent for longer and also to prevent their hospital admission. This initiative is estimated to cost around £22bn per year by 2020/2021, however there is no explanation how this money will be raised from taxpayers. In general, there is a lack of public awareness about the impact that the Better Care Fund will have on health and social care in England.
In Scotland, there have been similar changes to home care services. For example, from April 2016 people with high income who use personal care at home will contribute more towards their own cost for this service.