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WQ.170/2025
WRITTEN QUESTION TO THE MINISTER FOR SOCIAL SECURITY
BY DEPUTY K.M. WILSON OF ST. CLEMENT
QUESTION SUBMITTED ON MONDAY 7th APRIL 2025 ANSWER TO BE TABLED ON MONDAY 14th APRIL 2025
Question
"Will the Minister detail what plans, if any, exist to address the increases in fees and costs for nursing and residential care provided in the private sector and explain –
- what steps, if any, are to be taken to support those currently in receipt of nursing and residential care affected by these fee increases and struggling to pay fees amidst the cost-of-living pressures in the Island;
- what actions are being taken in response to the report entitled Financial review of the domiciliary care market in Jersey to establish the costs of independent sector services and provide options for standard pricing tariffs'; and
- when the above report's recommendations will receive a response and be actioned, advising which officer role is responsible for leading this work stream?"
Answer
- Care agencies in Jersey have the freedom to set their own rates for the cost of providing care. The Long-Term Care scheme can provide financial assistance with these care costs straight away if someone does not have the financial means to contribute to these costs themselves. The rates of benefit available from the scheme are currently as follows:
Level of standard care | Description of level of standard care | Maximum weekly benefit |
1 | Person requires long-term care on a daily basis but can be left alone for periods of at least 3 hours a day. | £523.53 |
2 | Person requires long-term care on a daily basis but cannot be left alone for periods exceeding 3 hours a day and the description for level 3 or 4 does not apply. | £798.63 |
3 | Person requires long-term care throughout the day or night but care is not required 24 hours a day. | £1,154.37 |
4 | Person requires long-term care 24 hours a day or, if not 24 hours a day, with a greater degree of specialist care required than is required for level 3. | £1,451.31 |
Living costs | Additional means tested LTC benefit available to support living costs in a care home | £457.03 |
These benefit rates are reviewed annually by the Minister for Social Security. In January 2025, the rates were increased by 6.4% - a percentage linked to the increase in Average Earnings to June 2024. The Minister for Social Security will be considering the uprate for 2026 later this year.
- The actions being taken following the review undertaken by LaingBuisson are set out in the following report published by the Minister for Social Security and Minister for Health and Social Services - Ministerial Response and Action Plan. The implementation of a standard rate for domiciliary care became effective from 1st January 2025.
- The Minister for Social Security and Minister for Health and Social Services responded to the review at the same time as its publication on 10th October 2024.
The work on the actions set out in that report are being led by officers from Strategic Policy, Planning and Performance (SPPP)), the Pensions and Care Hub within Employment Social Security and Housing (ESSH) and the Adult Social Care Team within Health Care Jersey (HCJ).