Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to ensure that (a) people who are financially responsible for the care of a friend or relative continue to be able to pay in the event of a reduction in their income as a result of the covid-19 outbreak and (b) people in receipt of care do not experience a disruption to the service as a result of a temporary inability to meet the cost of care.

Under the Care Act 2014, charging for care is based on a number of principles including that people should not be charged more than it is reasonably practicable for them to pay.

Local authorities provide means-tested financial help to pay for care and support where a person cannot afford the cost themselves. The financial assessment takes into account what a person can afford from both their income and their assets, for example savings or property. Individuals can ask their local authority for a reassessment following a change in their circumstances.

If top-up payments are being provided by a third party, if the arrangements for a ‘top-up’ were to fail for any reason, the local authority would need to meet the cost or make alternative arrangements, subject to a needs assessment.