Nearly 60 per cent of the population in England believe that the cost of social care later in life should be shared by the state and the individual, even for people with substantial resources, according to research by the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) and the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (LSHTM).
The analysis in the journal Social Science and Medicine indicates that respondents to the questionnaire of the researchers in the state seemed to prefer to provide basic services that the user could set up.
This means that most people are asking the state to put in more at the start of their care than they are currently doing under the English exit funding system, which prohibits people with state income or significant savings. Under the current system the costs are ultimately shared, as over time many older people lose their assets when paying for care. Less than half of older care recipients fully fund their own care.
In addition, survey respondents felt that even people with very low incomes and few funds should contribute to their own care, but not those who both rented and with little income and savings.
The research found that only 18 percent of the public believe that the state should pay for all social care expenses regardless of a person’s income or assets.
Fifteen percent said people should pay for all the costs of their social care, no matter how rich they are.
Concerns about care costs in old age were highest among those who said the state should pay all costs, as well as those who preferred that individuals pay for all their expenses.
Respondents who suggested a higher contribution with the person were more likely to be younger and with a higher socioeconomic status.
Our research shows that most people would support a reformed system where social care is heavily subsidized by the state, but where people who use services are contribute in all cases to the costs of their care in accordance with what they mean.
It also challenges the notion that wealthier people would be willing to put out of pocket when it is possible for the state to pay for everything. This may reflect a growing sense of realism with the public that they need to increase their care in old age. “
Dr Sanna Read, LSE Professional Research Assistant and Lead Author
The researchers conducted an online survey of 3000 people, representing the population, living in England between the ages of 18 and 75 years. Respondents were given four different scenarios for frail older people – named Grace or Alan – towards the costs of home or residential care with varying levels of financial resources. They then identified their choices as to the contributions the state and Grace or Alan should make toward the costs of social care in old age for each setting. The researchers then analyzed the characteristics of the respondents who responded in the same way.
Dr Read said: “This is the first study to use these types of scenarios and images to explore people’s views on paying for social care in old age. The personalization of an issue is so complex in the way This is a powerful way to get thoughtful responses from people. “
Source:
London School of Economics and Political Science
Magazine Reference:
Read, S., et al. (2021) Public Choices for Payment for Social Care Later in England: A Hidden Class Analysis. Social Science and Medicine. doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2021.113803.