The Care Act Reforming care and support Older People’s Provider Forum 11 February 2015 Vicky Smith, Head of Policy and Strategic Development

Changes from April 2015 Eligibility and assessment Information and Advice, including how to access independent financial advice Safeguarding Deferred Payments

Information and advice Every local authority must: “establish and maintain a service for providing people in its area with information and advice relating to care and support for adults, and support for carers”. This does not mean that the local authority should provide all the elements itself. Instead, it should “understand, co-ordinate and make use of” the resources available across the community. The system should: –be coherent –be aimed at the whole population –address a range of issues (including financial advice)

Other changes in April 2015: Legal duty to ensure smooth transition from children’s to adults social care services A duty to ensure a wide range of good quality care and support services are available New protections to ensure that no one goes without care if their provider fails New legal right to a personal budget and direct payment New responsibilities for provision of care and support in prisons Extension of ordinary residence to extra care and supported living

Changes from April 2016: Government consultation - Cap on Care costs and Appeals

The cap on care costs The Care Act says there should be a maximum amount anyone should pay towards their care. Care cost cap - from 2016 there will be: –Zero cap for life for people up to age of 25 with an eligible care needs –A cap on care costs of £72,000 for people aged 25 and above with eligible care needs The cap won’t count living costs, or any additional payments people choose to make. New provision for ‘top ups’

How the cap will work Government’s consultation provides details about how the cap will work, including what will count as a care cost. ‘Care accounts’ to set out the rate at which a person is progressing towards the cap. To apply, people will need to have an assessment to see if they meet the national eligibility threshold People who qualify will be given an independent personal budget of the care costs that will ‘count’ towards the cap. Guidance asks LAs to work with providers to identify self funders from October 2015

Charging for support A new legal basis for charging A consistent approach to calculating someone’s contribution towards living costs in residential care (not included in the cap) The charging threshold for people who get care in their own home increases from £23,250 to £27,000 The charging threshold for people who get residential care increases from £23,250 to £118,000

More information (2016 consultation) ons/care-act-2014-cap-on-care-costs-and- appealshttps:// ons/care-act-2014-cap-on-care-costs-and- appeals Deadline for comments: 30 th March 11.45pm

More information (Care Act) Local, regional and national publicity Department of Health factsheets on the Care Act: gov.uk/government/publications/care-act-2014-part-1- factsheets gov.uk/government/publications/care-act-2014-part-1- factsheets National care and support reform implementation programme: local.gov.uk/care-support-reformlocal.gov.uk/care-support-reform The Care Act in full: The Care Act in East Sussex: eastsussex.gov.uk/careact