Social care coverage models carry different costs and delivery timelines
The Health Foundation estimated a fully government-funded social care system in England could cost around £18.5bn a year. Sir Andrew Dilnot put an NHS-style system above £18bn, while saying a Scottish-style model could cost half as much; that model does not cover accommodation, food or everyday living costs. A previous £35,000 care-cost cap was accepted, delayed and later dropped.
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BBC UK reports that the cost estimates refer to models with different coverage. The Health Foundation estimated that government funding all social care support in England could cost around £18.5bn a year. Sir Andrew Dilnot said an NHS-style system could cost well in excess of £18bn, while a Scottish-style model could cost half that figure. In Scotland, state-funded personal care is available to adults assessed as needing help with tasks such as eating and bathing, but accommodation, food and everyday living costs remain means-tested. The estimates therefore should not be treated as prices for identical coverage. Burnham has not set out how he would fund his proposals and has not ruled out tax rises.
The proposed delivery horizon is also uncertain. Burnham indicated that his plans would not be implemented before the next general election, as he wants to keep Labour’s 2024 manifesto commitments. The election is not due until August 2029, though Burnham could call one earlier. Dilnot said reform could take many years or even decades, and considered it further away than earlier indications suggested.
A previous reform shows the gap between acceptance and delivery: Dilnot’s commission proposed a £35,000 lifetime cap on care costs, which the Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition accepted. Implementation was delayed to 2020, with David Cameron citing pressure on public finances, and subsequent Conservative governments later dropped the proposal.
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