Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment his Department has made of the affordability of residential care for those that need it.

The Care Act 2014 placed a duty on local authorities to shape their local markets so that there is an adequate supply of provision which ensures all adult social care service users have a choice of high-quality services. In the case of state-funded care, local authorities negotiate with care providers to achieve a balance of quality, effectiveness and value for money for the public purse.

The level of fees charged to people who fund their own care is a private contractual matter.

The Care Act also placed a duty on local authorities to assess an individual’s finances to establish if they are able to pay for their care. This ensures everyone can rely on state support if they do not have the means to support themselves. The means test is reviewed annually.