Kids and Conflict
Posted by Suzette
Government and Opposition meet on social care
Ministers of Health, Andrew Lansley and Paul Burstow, are meeting their counterparts in the Labour party today to discuss how Government can improve social care in England. This comes after the Dilnot Commission report and in advance of a Government promise to publish a White Paper on social care this Spring.
The Dilnot Commission recommended that there should be a maximum amount that anybody in their lifetime has to spend on social care, with Government paying for anything above that amount. There should also be more generous means testing, national eligibility criteria and a new duty on councils to support carers.
Whilst Andy Burnham, Labour’s shadow Health Secretary, has called for these recommendations to be “implemented in full as a first step”, Government is unsure. The Treasury could block the plans because of the extra £1.7bn p/a needed to make the changes, although this is only equal to about 0.25% of total Government spending.
Dr Moira Fraser, Director of Policy at The Princess Royal Trust for Carers, is calling for carers and families from across England to take action to push for these changes.
“This is the greatest opportunity we have to improve the lives of millions by making these necessary changes to social care. We cannot continue with a system that supports fewer people, creates inequality, punishes those who save and gives little support to carers.
“However, we need to convince MPs that improving social care should be a top political priority, which means getting their attention. With others in the Care and Support Alliance, we are organising a mass lobby of MPs on 6th March. People from all over the country will have the chance to meet their MP in Parliament on this day and lobby for better social care support in England.”
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The press coverage of today's
The press coverage of today's meeting of Shadow and Coalition ministers to discuss the Dilnot Report and the Redbridge "Freespace" Project is encouraging.
My Mother's property has been empty since April 2011.
We have offered the property for sale and letting through two agents. There has been very little interest. Insurance for such properties can be very difficult to acquire and the terms and conditions can be exacting.
My Mother lives with us; the care package is complex and constantly evolving. The over 85s often have acute nursing needs requiring both additional time and supervision by a great many health care professionals. The costs to the country for this age range will continue to escalate and the projected income stream from property may meet less than half of the current actual costs.
The Telegraph today has used figures from the University of Cambridge's Report for an average rental income stream form a 4 bedroomed house i.e.£1300/month. The income from lets varies enormously across the UK and as we all know is distorted by proximity to university towns, transport nodes, good schools, buoyant research hubs and employment clusters and of course the north Norfolk coast!
Specific planning policy targets for lifetime and affordable homes within defined spatial areas would give developers an overarching policy context to build for these markets. All developers like structure as do their financial backers! The loss of the Regional Spatial Strategies in the absence of any transistional arrangements has created considerable uncertainity within the development sector as has the language within the draft National Planning Policy Framework.
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