§ Mr. Clifton-BrownTo ask the Secretary of State for Health how many extra people will now have their nursing home costs paid(a) entirely and (b) in part as a result of raising the thresholds to (i) £10,000 and (ii) £16,000; what is the cost of each category to the Treasury; how many people will have their care costs paid in full as a result of raising the capital threshold from £3,000 to £10,000; and what is the cost to the Treasury. [8696]
§ Mr. BowisAround 50,000 people in residential care and nursing homes are expected to benefit from the increases in the capital thresholds. The estimated cost of the increases is around £60 million. All residents, whether placed in residential care or nursing homes by a local authority, or in receipt of income support to pay towards their care costs, have to contribute out of income as well as capital, so the number of those having their care costs paid in full is negligible.