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Warning given over elderly care PM attacked on elderly care plans
(about 13 hours later)
Ministers are facing further pressure over plans to provide free personal care for the most vulnerable elderly people in England. Prime Minister Gordon Brown has come under fire over his plans to provide free personal care for the most vulnerable elderly people in England.
More than 70 councillors who lead social care provision across England have written to the Times describing the plan as ill-conceived. Conservative leader David Cameron asked "where is the money coming from?" and whether he would rule out a compulsory inheritance levy to pay for it.
Gordon Brown made the pledge a key part of his election strategy. The PM accused the Tories of a U-turn saying they had supported the plan.
But local authorities say finding an extra £250m from their budgets will mean cuts in other services. The clashes came after councillors who lead on social care provision in England called the plan ill conceived.
The vast majority of councils represented on the list of signatories are Conservative or Liberal Democrat. More than 70 signed a letter to the Times suggesting the plans had "major weaknesses", was unfunded and would mean cuts to services.
But there are a handful of Labour authorities too, although the Times says several of them contacted the paper ahead of publication asking to be removed from the list. 'Consensus broken'
The letter says that councils fully support providing additional help to those with the greatest care needs, but says that the legislation has "major weaknesses" and risks putting strain on a system already under considerable financial pressure. Most councils which signed the letter were Conservative or Liberal Democrat but there were a handful of Labour authorities too.
The councils also say they have "major doubts" over how the scheme would be funded and suggest many vulnerable people will have their expectations raised that they may benefit "when the reality may be significantly different". Mr Brown made the personal care pledge a key part of his election strategy but on Wednesday Mr Cameron suggested he was promoting "cheap dividing lines".
Ministers believe the pledge could help 400,000 people to stay in their own homes each year. The wall of noise will not disguise the fact that the Conservative Party have absolutely no policy on an issue that is vital to the needs of the elderly Gordon Brown
Motion defeated Mr Brown accused the Tories of "another U-turn on policy" and said he had set aside £670m in the next year - £420m of which would come from the NHS to provide care for urgent needs.
Phil Hope, the care services minister, said it was extremely disappointing that local authorities supported the principle, but were quibbling and complaining about making it happen. "Surely a party that supported the policy one week, shouldn't be opposing it the next week?" Mr Brown asked.
Council chiefs have previously stated that the government has "significantly underestimated" the cost of delivering free social care. He said the Tories had asked for talks with Health Secretary Andy Burnham to get a consensus on the issue but had now "broken the consensus".
A poll of 61 directors of social services has suggested providing care to those most in need costs £200 a week, which is double the government's estimate. The Tory leader said some figures suggested the policy could put £26 on council tax and said some Labour councillors and peers were also angry about the policy.
The Association of Directors of Adult Social Services (ADASS) said it backed the idea, planned for implementation in England, but wants a rethink on the funding. Questions over levy
"What we want to know is where is the money coming from? People who work closely with you are completely opposed to the way this is being done," Mr Cameron said.
He said one option in the Green Paper was for a "£20,000 levy on every single elderly person in this country except the very poorest" and repeatedly urged Mr Brown to rule out a levy.
Amid shouting and jeering in the Commons the prime minister said: "The wall of noise will not disguise the fact that the Conservative Party have absolutely no policy on an issue that is vital to the needs of the elderly."
The Times letter says that councils support providing extra help to those with the greatest care needs, but that the current plan risked putting strain on a system already facing tight finances.
The councils say they have "major doubts" over how the scheme would be funded and suggest expectations would be raised among many vulnerable people "when the reality may be significantly different".
Ministers say the pledge could help 400,000 people to stay in their own homes each year.
Phil Hope, the care services minister, said it was extremely disappointing that local authorities supported the principle, but were quibbling about making it happen.
The Association of Directors of Adult Social Services said it backed the idea, planned for implementation in England, but wants a rethink on the funding.
And an attempt to delay a bid to provide the free personal care at home for people in England has failed after the House of Lords voted against a motion tabled by former health minister Lord Warner.And an attempt to delay a bid to provide the free personal care at home for people in England has failed after the House of Lords voted against a motion tabled by former health minister Lord Warner.
He had argued that the government's proposal was "unaffordable" and proper consultation had not taken place. He had argued that the government's proposal was 'unaffordable' and proper consultation had not taken place.