Government proposes to reform care and support

The First Secretary of State has announced that the government will publish a green paper on care and support for older people by summer 2018.

The paper will set out plans for how the government proposes to improve care and support for older people and tackle the challenge of an ageing population.

The government has begun a process of engagement in advance of the green paper to ensure it reflects a wide range of views and requirements. Government will work with independent experts, stakeholders and users to shape the long-term reforms that will be proposed in the green paper.

These proposals will build on the additional £2 billion over the next three years that the government has already provided to meet social care needs, reduce pressures on NHS services and stabilise the social care provider market in the short term.

Damian Green, First Secretary of State and Minister for the Cabinet Office, said: “An ageing population needs a long-term solution for care, but building a sustainable support system will require some big decisions. In developing the green paper, it is right that we take the time needed to debate the many complex issues and listen to the perspectives of experts and care users, to build consensus around reforms which can succeed.”

Jeremy Hunt, Secretary of State, said: “We are committed to reforming social care to ensure we can guarantee everyone dignity and security in old age. It is important we consider a wide variety of views on the future of the social care system – as our ageing population continues to grow it is absolutely vital that we get this right.”