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Benefits to Long Term Care recipients

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WQ.395/2024

WRITTEN QUESTION TO THE MINISTER FOR SOCIAL SECURITY BY DEPUTY I. GARDINER OF ST. HELIER NORTH

QUESTION SUBMITTED ON MONDAY 4th NOVEMBER 2024 ANSWER TO BE TABLED ON MONDAY 11th NOVEMBER 2024

Question

"Further to the response to Written Question 362/2024, will the Minister advise –

  1. whether any type of additional, or top-up, payment or funding by Government is provided when, following means-testing, a claimant of Long-Term Care Benefit cannot afford to pay the difference between the level of the benefit they receive and the care home fees they have to pay;
  2. whether any other type of additional, or top-up, payment or funding is available to recipients of Long-Term Care Benefit and, if so, on what basis; and
  3. where any such additional payments are made, how they are monitored and recorded?"

Answer

  1. There are no additional top-ups, payments or funding mechanisms that provide money to Long-Term Care claimants in the circumstances the Deputy describes. If someone is assessed as not having the means to make a top-up payment, they are not required to make one. The funding they receive from the Long- Term Care scheme will secure them a placement at a care home based on standard Long-Term Care benefit rates. This may limit the choice they have in terms of which care home they are placed in but will not compromise the level of care they receive.
  2. Recipients of Long-Term Care who are receiving care in their own home and are on Income Support can receive the Ancillary Home Care Costs component of Income Support. This is designed to provide additional financial support for the costs of receiving care at home, the value of this component is currently just over £30 per week.

Also, depending on individual circumstances, someone receiving Long-Term Care benefit may also be entitled to receive:

If receiving care at home

Income Support

The mobility component of Income Support

Cold Weather Bonus or Cold Weather Payment – monthly payments made in the event of a cold winter

Health Access Scheme – fixed, lower GP fees

Pension Plus – support with dental, optical and chiropody costs

Christmas Bonus – bonus financial support at Christmas

Television Licence Benefit (free licence for over 75's)

Community Costs Bonus – annual lump sum payment of just over £500 to assist with household costs

- (if they not on Income Support). If receiving care in a care home

Health Access Scheme

Pension Plus – support with dental, optical and chiropody costs

Christmas Bonus – bonus financial support at Christmas

Community Costs Bonus (if not on Income Support).

Finally, and in the most complex cases of Long-Term Care i.e. those requiring a level of care above Long- Term Care Level 4, additional funding can be provided via the Health and Community Services High Costs Panel.

  1. Monitoring and recording of all the payments listed in part b is done by Customer and Local Services as part of the administration of the various payments/benefits.