Cap on Care Charges

The new Care Act has passed into law. This includes the much publicised cap on care costs but this is not likely to benefit many people. The cap of £75,000 comes into force in April 2016 but only 8% of men over the age of 85 and 15% of women are likely to reach the cap. This is because care costs are so narrowly defined and also each resident in a care home will still have to pay their Daily Living Costs.

Trevor Price who is a full professional member of Solicitors for the Elderly says that careful planning is important. It is essential that people enter the assessment process at an early stage because the cap is not going to help people who put off being assessed until the point they are ready to move into care. Once that point is reached it is very hard to carry out any effective planning.