Asked by: Chris Coghlan (Liberal Democrat - Dorking and Horley)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate he has made of the number of elderly people who will need (a) living assistance and (b) housing in (i) 2025 and (ii) the next ten years.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Older People’s Housing Taskforce report, published November 2024, estimated that the number of households aged 65 years old and over will increase by 37.3% by 2040. The taskforce also estimated that this would mean that an additional 30,000 to 50,000 new later living homes would need to be built per year.
The Government has committed to building 1.5 million new homes over the next five years and delivering the biggest increase in social and affordable housebuilding in a generation.
Asked by: Baroness Grey-Thompson (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government, following the Government response to the Concluding observations on the initial report of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, published by the Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in October 2017, what steps they are taking to deinstitutionalise persons with disabilities, and develop community-based independent living schemes, in collaboration with organisations of persons with disabilities.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Through our proposed reforms to the Mental Health Act, we want to ensure people get the support they need in the community, improve care and prevent admission to hospitals. We recognise that strong community support must be in place to improve care and reduce reliance on mental health hospitals for people with a learning disability and autistic people. We will engage with expert stakeholders to inform implementation planning, including in respect of the development of strong community services.
The National Health Service’s 2024/25 priorities and operational planning guidance sets out the objective of reducing reliance on mental health inpatient care for people with a learning disability and autistic people. In 2024/2025, NHS England has allocated £124 million of transformation funding for learning disability and autism services which includes funding to reduce reliance on mental health inpatient settings.
We recognise how important the right housing arrangements are in supporting people to live independently, and the need to support people to live behind their own front door wherever possible. We incentivise the supply of supported housing in England for older people and adults with a physical or learning disability, autistic people, or adults with mental ill-health. The Government will bring forward details of future investment in affordable housing at the multi-year Spending Review next year.
The Government is required to provide an annual update outlining the progress the United Kingdom has made on the Committee’s recommendations following the 2016 inquiry and most recently gave evidence to the Committee at a dialogue in Geneva in March 2024.
Asked by: Lord Best (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they intend to take to address the deficit in supply of older people’s housing with care and support for the ageing population.
Answered by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The Government has committed to building 1.5 million new homes over the next 5 years including those to meet the needs of older people.
This Government is committed to ensuring that new housing meets the needs of people in a local area, including older people, and these needs should be taken into account when local plans are made. The Government is carefully considering responses to the recent consultation on proposed updates to the National Planning Policy Framework, and intends to issue its response before the end of the year, alongside a revised National Planning Policy Framework.
The Government will set out plans for housing with care and support in due course.
We will provide an update in relation to the Older People’s Housing Taskforce report in due course.
Asked by: Lord Best (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they plan to publish the report of the Older People's Housing Taskforce by the end of the year.
Answered by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The Government has committed to building 1.5 million new homes over the next 5 years including those to meet the needs of older people.
This Government is committed to ensuring that new housing meets the needs of people in a local area, including older people, and these needs should be taken into account when local plans are made. The Government is carefully considering responses to the recent consultation on proposed updates to the National Planning Policy Framework, and intends to issue its response before the end of the year, alongside a revised National Planning Policy Framework.
The Government will set out plans for housing with care and support in due course.
We will provide an update in relation to the Older People’s Housing Taskforce report in due course.
Asked by: Lord Best (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they intend to address the specific needs of older people’s housing in the revision of the National Planning Policy Framework and supporting guidance.
Answered by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The Government has committed to building 1.5 million new homes over the next 5 years including those to meet the needs of older people.
This Government is committed to ensuring that new housing meets the needs of people in a local area, including older people, and these needs should be taken into account when local plans are made. The Government is carefully considering responses to the recent consultation on proposed updates to the National Planning Policy Framework, and intends to issue its response before the end of the year, alongside a revised National Planning Policy Framework.
The Government will set out plans for housing with care and support in due course.
We will provide an update in relation to the Older People’s Housing Taskforce report in due course.
Asked by: Lord Best (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask His Majesty's Government what percentage of their 1.5 million target for new homes will be designed to meet the specific needs of older people.
Answered by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The Government has committed to building 1.5 million new homes over the next 5 years including those to meet the needs of older people.
This Government is committed to ensuring that new housing meets the needs of people in a local area, including older people, and these needs should be taken into account when local plans are made. The Government is carefully considering responses to the recent consultation on proposed updates to the National Planning Policy Framework, and intends to issue its response before the end of the year, alongside a revised National Planning Policy Framework.
The Government will set out plans for housing with care and support in due course.
We will provide an update in relation to the Older People’s Housing Taskforce report in due course.
Asked by: Deirdre Costigan (Labour - Ealing Southall)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to ensure adequate support for people with physical disabilities that live independently.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government is determined to stabilise the adult social care system and enable health and social care services to work together better to provide joined-up care for people with complex health and care needs, such as people with a physical or learning disability.
To best support those drawing on care, the Government recognises the importance of holistic, joined-up services. The Department of Health and Social Care is working with partners across the Government, including the Department of Work and Pensions, the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, and the Department for Education, to build the right support across a range of public services including the social care, housing, and benefits systems.
Under the Care Act, local authorities are responsible for shaping their care market to meet the diverse needs of all local people. This includes commissioning a diverse range of care and support services that enable people with either physical or learning disabilities, or both, to access quality care and, if they choose, live independently.
Section 2 in the Care Act places a duty on local authorities to provide or arrange services, facilities, or other resources to prevent or delay the development of care and support needs for adults, with the aim of keeping people independent. This occurs in the context of local populations and the services available.
Currently, adults who are receiving local authority support with their social care costs can choose to receive their personal budget, the amount of money they are assessed to require to meet their eligible needs under the Care Act 2014, as a direct payment. This allows the person, or their nominated representative, to commission their own care, providing them with greater independence, choice, and control in meeting their eligible personal care and support needs.
In England, we continue to fund the locally administered Disabled Facilities Grant which helps eligible disabled people on low incomes to adapt their homes, through practical changes like installing stair lifts or level access showers, to make them safe and suitable for their needs.
We also incentivise the supply of supported housing for adults with a physical or learning disability, autistic people, or adults with mental ill-health. These interventions seek to enable disabled adults to live more independent and healthy lives in their own home, for as long as possible.
The extra costs disability benefits are not means–tested and are non-contributory and thus paid regardless of any income or savings. They are also tax-free and worth up to £184.30 a week, or over £9,580 a year. These benefits were not subject to the benefits freeze, having most recently been uprated by 6.7% from 8 April 2024, and were qualifying benefits for the Disability Cost of Living Payments paid in 2022 and 2023.
The extra costs disability benefits can be paid in addition to other financial and practical support that those with a health condition or disability may be eligible for, such as other social security benefits or access to the Blue Badge scheme.
Adult social care is not just a service for older adults, as it supports approximately 300,000 disabled people aged 18 to 64 years old to live independent and dignified lives. The Government wants to better support working age disabled people to participate in society and access employment.
Asked by: Deirdre Costigan (Labour - Ealing Southall)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to ensure adequate provision of early support for people with learning disabilities that live independently.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government is determined to stabilise the adult social care system and enable health and social care services to work together better to provide joined-up care for people with complex health and care needs, such as people with a physical or learning disability.
To best support those drawing on care, the Government recognises the importance of holistic, joined-up services. The Department of Health and Social Care is working with partners across the Government, including the Department of Work and Pensions, the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, and the Department for Education, to build the right support across a range of public services including the social care, housing, and benefits systems.
Under the Care Act, local authorities are responsible for shaping their care market to meet the diverse needs of all local people. This includes commissioning a diverse range of care and support services that enable people with either physical or learning disabilities, or both, to access quality care and, if they choose, live independently.
Section 2 in the Care Act places a duty on local authorities to provide or arrange services, facilities, or other resources to prevent or delay the development of care and support needs for adults, with the aim of keeping people independent. This occurs in the context of local populations and the services available.
Currently, adults who are receiving local authority support with their social care costs can choose to receive their personal budget, the amount of money they are assessed to require to meet their eligible needs under the Care Act 2014, as a direct payment. This allows the person, or their nominated representative, to commission their own care, providing them with greater independence, choice, and control in meeting their eligible personal care and support needs.
In England, we continue to fund the locally administered Disabled Facilities Grant which helps eligible disabled people on low incomes to adapt their homes, through practical changes like installing stair lifts or level access showers, to make them safe and suitable for their needs.
We also incentivise the supply of supported housing for adults with a physical or learning disability, autistic people, or adults with mental ill-health. These interventions seek to enable disabled adults to live more independent and healthy lives in their own home, for as long as possible.
The extra costs disability benefits are not means–tested and are non-contributory and thus paid regardless of any income or savings. They are also tax-free and worth up to £184.30 a week, or over £9,580 a year. These benefits were not subject to the benefits freeze, having most recently been uprated by 6.7% from 8 April 2024, and were qualifying benefits for the Disability Cost of Living Payments paid in 2022 and 2023.
The extra costs disability benefits can be paid in addition to other financial and practical support that those with a health condition or disability may be eligible for, such as other social security benefits or access to the Blue Badge scheme.
Adult social care is not just a service for older adults, as it supports approximately 300,000 disabled people aged 18 to 64 years old to live independent and dignified lives. The Government wants to better support working age disabled people to participate in society and access employment.
Asked by: Laura Kyrke-Smith (Labour - Aylesbury)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the Disabled Facilities Grant scheme, whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of updating the Test of Resources in order to ensure working people with disabilities can access means-tested support.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
We recognise how important the right housing arrangements are in enabling people to live independently, and the need to support people to live in their own home wherever possible. In England, we continue to fund the locally administered Disabled Facilities Grant (DFG) which helps eligible older and disabled people on low incomes to adapt their homes, through practical changes like installing stair lifts or level access showers, to make them safe and suitable for their needs.
We continue to keep all aspects of the DFG under review. Local authorities have a significant degree of flexibility in how they deliver home adaptations funding. For example, they can publish a housing assistance policy to increase the upper limit of the grant, or remove means testing for grants costing under a certain amount.
Asked by: Peter Gibson (Conservative - Darlington)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make an assessment with Cabinet colleagues of the adequacy of the support provided by local authorities for care leavers.
Answered by David Johnston
Supporting care leavers to make a successful transition from care to independence is a priority for this government. Care leavers face barriers to securing and maintaining affordable housing, which is why the department committed to delivering the actions within ‘Mission 5’ of the Care Review implementation plan to increase the number of care leavers in safe, suitable accommodation and to reduce care leaver homelessness by 2027.
This commitment includes bringing forward legislation, when parliamentary time allows, for ‘Staying Put’ to support young people for longer and for ‘Staying Close’ to be a national entitlement, recognising that young people in the general population are leaving home at older ages. The department will also bring forward legislation, when parliamentary time allows, to remove the local connection requirement for care leavers seeking access to social housing at the next available opportunity.
The government is providing funding for the following programmes in the current spending review period (2022/2025) to support care leavers to find suitable accommodation. This includes:
Ofsted inspects the adequacy of the support provided by local authorities for care leavers. In January 2023, Ofsted introduced a new, separate judgement in the inspection framework for local authority children’s services, specifically assessing the experiences and progress of care leavers.
Alongside this, a care leaver Ministerial Board, co-chaired by the Secretaries of State for the Department for Education and the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, brings together relevant Ministers from across government to consider what more can be done to improve outcomes for care leavers and to help to achieve the five care-leavers-related ‘Missions’ as set out in the government’s children’s social care strategy, ‘Stable Homes, Built on Love’. This includes looking to increase the number of care leavers in safe, suitable accommodation and to reduce care leaver homelessness.