Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the threat of court action for non-payment of social care charges on the mental health of care users.

No assessment has been made. Each local authority is responsible for managing its debt recovery processes under the Care Act 2014. All debt recovery systems should be designed with a full understanding of the needs and capacities of the local population, including how different approaches may impact a person’s wellbeing. Local authorities also have a general duty to promote a person’s wellbeing and, as such, must consider whether debt has accrued due to factors outside of a person’s control.