Residential care costs

[tim123]

It is free in Scotland and it should be in England.

The country is quite willing to pay money to educate you to do a lifetime of service and tax paying but when you retire they are quite willing to forget you existed. Cost should not come into the question, it is a basic desicion that requires morals that this country lost years ago.

I don't entirely agree.

Morally, children should (as far as reasoable) look after their parents in return for what the parent has given them, and if the can't be bothered, I fail to see why the taxpayer should pick up the tab.

I accept that there is a point at which the parent becomes too "unwell" for the child to care for them, but if the state only had to pay for care at this point the bill would be manageable. But currently we have a situation where lazy children just dump their parents onto the state as soon as they become a little bit difficult and expect someone else to pay, - this is unafordable.

tim

[shaunbhoy]

Hmmmm, my new plan B could be "Minestrone's care home for the English IT Contractor"

I could arrange for a guy in a clown suit to come in and speak in a ruskie accent about formatting hard drives, tulipe search engines and what he had for lunch.

You could call it the Harold Shipman Centre for Geriatric Care.

[Bagpuss]

I have a nasty feeling that you'll cough up your 8k only to find that the care won't be available when you need it. It happened with National Insurance.

National insurance contributions pay for the burden now i.e. the old now, and are not a saving account for future payments. It has been this way for decades.

[minestrone]

I don't think they can take it back, no party would ever come in with a manifesto to stop free health care, it will be introduced in England soon.

It is the essentially free residential care to the millions of can't work won't work that should be stopped

[centurian]

It is (currently) free in Scotland and it should be in England.

Fixed that for you.

Whatever the costs/freebies are now are pretty meaningless 20 years from now when we might need it.

Notice how the pension "tax free lump sum" is now called the "pension commencement lump sum". Still tax free, but for how much longer. But those who took out a pension 10 years ago were expecting it to be tax free, just like those who paid NI 30 years ago were expecting a decent pension.

So whatever the politicians say now is pretty meaningless.

[minestrone]

Is this true even if you only move to Scotland a year or two before retiring? Very interesting, if so...

Hmmmm, my new plan B could be "Minestrone's care home for the English IT Contractor"

I could arrange for a guy in a clown suit to come in and speak in a ruskie accent about formatting hard drives, tulipe search engines and what he had for lunch.

[Zippy]

I have a nasty feeling that you'll cough up your 8k only to find that the care won't be available when you need it. It happened with National Insurance.

[MrMark]

It is free in Scotland and it should be in England.

The country is quite willing to pay money to educate you to do a lifetime of service and tax paying but when you retire they are quite willing to forget you existed. Cost should not come into the question, it is a basic desicion that requires morals that this country lost years ago.

Is this true even if you only move to Scotland a year or two before retiring? Very interesting, if so...

[BrilloPad]

The country cant afford it. The only fair way is that people pay. If they can't afford it then its compulsary euthanasia.

[minestrone]

It is free in Scotland and it should be in England.

The country is quite willing to pay money to educate you to do a lifetime of service and tax paying but when you retire they are quite willing to forget you existed. Cost should not come into the question, it is a basic desicion that requires morals that this country lost years ago.

[centurian]

Tories say pay £8k at 65, and you can have free residential home care without having to sell your house to pay for it

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/8288111.stm

Labour's policy is to have a "National Care Service" so those with "the highest needs" could be cared for in their own home.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/8281168.stm

What's the correct answer?

Those that saved have to cough up in full, while their neighbour who p155ed away their savings get it for free

It's only fair...


PS. I'm not sure the Tories plan is affordable either. Personal care is hideously expensive - and that cost will only go in one direction.

[MrMark]

Tories say pay £8k at 65, and you can have free residential home care without having to sell your house to pay for it

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/8288111.stm

Labour's policy is to have a "National Care Service" so those with "the highest needs" could be cared for in their own home.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/8281168.stm

What's the correct answer?