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WQ.362/2024
WRITTEN QUESTION TO THE MINISTER FOR SOCIAL SECURITY BY DEPUTY I. GARDINER OF ST. HELIER NORTH
QUESTION SUBMITTED ON MONDAY 14th OCTOBER 2024 ANSWER TO BE TABLED ON MONDAY 21st OCTOBER 2024
Question
"Further to the statement in the Laing Buisson Domiciliary care market review ministerial action plan that LTC (Long-Term Care) claimants will be responsible for paying the difference between their benefits and the care home set fees, will the Minister advise –
- what happens when, following means testing, a claimant is unable to pay the difference between the benefit rate and the cost of care, and is there a mechanism for top up' payments to be made;
- for current LTC claimants who are in receipt of top up' payments to fund the difference between benefits and care costs, how are these additional payments monitored and what criteria are applied to their provision; and
- how, if at all, are such criteria aligned with care home standards emanating from the Jersey Care Commission in respect of staffing levels and a need for compliance?"
Answer
- Individuals who qualify for fully means tested support under the LTC scheme will be provided with a care placement or a care package based on the standard rates. They will not be required to make a top up payment. This is already standard practice in the residential care sector and some domiciliary agencies, and the ministerial action plan aims to embed the same practice across all domiciliary care providers.
- Individuals who can afford to, can choose a residential or domiciliary care package where the fee exceeds the benefit level available through LTC. The individual is responsible for these additional costs, and these are not monitored by the Government.
- LTC benefits are only available when care is provided through a provider fully approved by the Jersey Care Commission.