Care Homes: Finance

(asked on 21st July 2015) - View Source

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what financial measures he has introduced to help residential care homes for elderly people run by charities since 2010.


Answered by
David Gauke Portrait
David Gauke
This question was answered on 7th September 2015

The Chancellor has not introduced any financial measures which are specifically targeted towards residential care homes for elderly people run by charities. However a range of measures have been introduced by the Government to support the social care sector and charities.

Central Government provides funding to local authorities to purchase care for the needs of their population from local providers. In addition to this funding, important steps have been taken to improve the care and support landscape within which residential care homes operate. The first phase of the care and support reforms enshrined in the Care Act 2014 came into force in April this year, introducing the biggest reforms to care and support in over 65 years. For the first time ever, we have a single, modern legal framework for care and support that places the person and their health and wellbeing at its heart. There are now national minimum eligibility criteria for care and support across England. Carers now have the right to support to meet their needs, and deferred payment agreements are available across England ensuring that people should not be forced to sell their home in order to pay for their care in their lifetime.

The government recognises the vital role of charities and their important position in local communities. This is why, for example, the government also provides support for charities through tax reliefs, of which Gift Aid makes up over £1 billion. Total tax reliefs to charities and their donors were worth over £4.5 billion last year.

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