Long term care is at crisis point, argue lobbyists

An influential group of lobbyists is challenging politicians to buy their differences to work together to tackle the problem of funding long term care.

In an open letter from 10 organisations concerned with care for the elderly, including Age UK, Counsel and Care and the Joseph Roundtree Foundation, MPs are urged to act on the forthcoming recommendations from the Dilnot Commission.

The commission was tasked with offering solutions to the problems of funding and care, and is believed to be issuing a report within the next few days.

The report is widely predicted to state that everyone should contribute towards a £35,000 personal fund to cover these costs after retirement.

“We are reaching crisis point and the debate has gone on long enough,” said the letter.

“The current system is complicated, expensive and underfunded. It causes hardship and anxiety for those in need.

“The uncertainty that has resulted from years of debate and no solid settlement means that people do not know what they should be doing to save or prepare and many use all of their savings and assets to cover their care costs as a result.”

The lobbyists are calling for cross-bench support to set aside party differences with a view to finding the best consensus for resolving long term care issues.

“The government, charities, insurers and individuals all have a role to play, but we need some clarity on what that role should be.

“Too often the long term care question has been placed on the too difficult pile. We all agree that continuing to do nothing is not the answer.

“It would be catastrophic if the forthcoming report from the Dilnot Commission resulted in no action at all,” said the letter.

The letter goes on to explain that previous governments had put off making decisions about long term care because the options were too difficult to grasp – but now the time has come to stop dithering and grasp the nettle to ensure a ‘sustainable, fair, resilient and affordable system for the long term’ is required to fund care for the nation’s increasingly ageing population.