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Dilnot warns government not to duck care reforms

by Matt Foster / 05 Jul 2011 13:14

Speaking this morning, the author of the care report struck a cautious note, saying the public understood need for reforms

Dilnot warns government not to duck care reforms

Andrew Dilnot, the author of yesterday’s report into funding adult social care, has made it clear that the government should act on his proposals, in spite of signs it may be looking to back down.

Speaking as part of the Independence Day conference at Westminster Central Hall this morning, the economist said that the government was entitled to deliberate on his proposals but that it must ultimately act soon to avoid storing up problems for later.

“It is appropriate that there is now a period for reflection but it should come to an end and we should do something,” Dilnot told the audience.

If implemented, Dilnot’s proposals would scrap the current means test for state assistance which presently means that those with assets worth more than £23,250 are not automatically entitled to government help with social care. Dilnot said the current means test was “our most ghastly” which, he joked, was “quite a competition to win”.

It would be replaced with a new threshold of £100,000, meaning tens of thousands more people would qualify for government help. This would be coupled with a cap of £35,000 on the amount any individual should have to pay over their lifetime towards social care.

Successful adult social care reform evaded the last government and, at a time of austerity, there’s speculation Dilnot’s proposals might either be delayed until the next Parliament or significantly watered down. Last night health secretary Andrew Lansley called the Dilnot proposals a "helpful contribution" but warned of "significant costs".

However, this morning Dilnot said he believed that the electorate understood the need to pay for reforms that would ultimately give them a greater sense of security.

“People don’t think it’s unreasonable to make some contribution as long as they can plan in context,” he said.

He added that proper funding of adult social care was “a way of demonstrating what kind of country we want to be” and that the £2bn cost of implementing his recommendations was relatively low in the wider context of £700bn total public spending.