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Age UK challenges Government on care

Age UK challenges Government on care
As the debate over the future of social care continues to intensify, a new survey by Age UK estimates that 13.7 million people aged 50 or over in Great Britain (63% of those interviewed) think the Government treat older people badly, and when asked what makes them think that way an overwhelming three quarters (74%) cited poor standards of social care.

The survey also showed that 7 out of 10 (70%) people aged 50-64 do not feel confident that older people receiving care services are treated with dignity and respect.
These results come at a time when spending on social care continues to drop and many older people who need care are finding it increasingly difficult to access the system and get the help they need. On the eve of the Autumn Statement, Age UK is issuing its ‘Five challenges to Government on care.’ These challenges lay out the key factors that the Charity believes will be pivotal to determining whether the current social care reforms succeed or fail.

Caroline Abrahams, Charity Director at Age UK, said: "Our survey shows that three quarters of 50-65s think the social care on offer is nowhere near good enough for their loved ones today, or for themselves tomorrow if they should need it as they grow older. Two thirds of them think the Government treats older people badly as a result, highlighting how strongly they feel about our creaking social care system. The core of the problem is that funding for social care has failed and is still failing to keep up with ever increasing demand, putting the whole system on the verge of collapse.

"The Government deserves credit for bringing forward long overdue reforms to the social care system that could make a real difference if properly implemented, but we are worried that the social care ‘coat’ being designed for 2016 is being cut to the inadequate ‘cloth’ that the Treasury is allocating. A great new system on paper is pointless unless there is sufficient funding in place.”

Age UK makes the following challenges to the Government in the document:
1. The new national eligibility threshold must be set at moderate or its equivalent
2. There must be enough investment into the social care system so it is fully funded and able to deliver care and support to older people who need it
3. Changes must be communicated to older people and their families so they understand ‘the deal’ on offer
4. The rates for care that go towards the cap or are paid by local authorities must be fair and reflect the true cost of providing decent quality care
5. There must be a straightforward and fair way to complain

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