Debate on cost of long-term care due next year

Employment & Social Security president Deputy Peter Roffey told the States yesterday that the issue, last voted on by deputies in August 2020, would be a high priority for his committee in 2023.

‘Clearly this needs to be explored in the context of our ageing population and budgetary challenges,’ he said.

‘I know this won’t be popular, but it would be irresponsible to expand the scope of the long-term care scheme to incorporate care provided at home without a clear funding plan.’

• Listen: Simon De La Rue and Chloe Presland round up the first day of this week's States debate

The 2020 debate saw the States agree in principle to offer financial support to cover care provided at home, and ESS was directed to work with Health & Social Care to work this up.

It was expected that such a move would need a 0.4% increase in contribution rates, on top of an increase already needed to put the funding of the scheme on a sound financial footing.

Without it, the scheme, launched some 25 years ago to resolve the problem of some islanders having to sell the family home to pay for care, could run out of money within the next 30 years, and islanders who had paid in may be denied help in their old age.

The States also recognised that an over-reliance on increasing contribution rates to ensure the fund’s sustainability, given demographic changes, risked increasing intergenerational unfairness.

But it blocked an idea of developing the Jersey model, where those with significant capital assets should be expected to contribute up to 10% of their assets to meet the first tranche of their care costs. Members were adamant that this was unfair.

Financing the scheme and reforming its terms will both be on the agenda for ESS.