§ Mr. AllenTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what provision his Department is making to provide for the shortfall between the fees charged by residential homes and nursing homes and the level of income support under community care; and what assistance his Department can give to those who meet the normal qualifying conditions but whose fees are above the benefit limit and who are unable to meet their charges in full.
§ Miss WiddecombeThe present system of income support limits will be preserved for existing recipients who are resident in homes when the new community care arrangements are introduced in April 1993. As now, under those arrangements there will be limits to the level of benefit available for different types of care and these will be reviewed regularly. Subject to the normal qualifying conditions, people whose fees are at or below the limit will have their charges met in full.
The current income support limits for the various categories of residential and nursing home care represent the maximum amounts available. Any additional assistance—for example, that provided by relatives or charitable organizations—is, however, disregarded in the calculation of income support entitlement. This provision will continue under the new arrangements from April 1993.
Under the present arrangements, as an alternative to placing people in their own residential accommodation, local authorities have powers to place people in private residential care homes and meet their fees in full, recouping from the resident an assessed amount towards the charge where appropriate. LAs can also make weekly cash payments in certain circumstances to people in independent homes where the fees are more than the appropriate income support limit. This provision will continue under the new community care arrangements after April 1993 for those residents with preserved income support rights.