Local councils may have to use eligibility criteria to decide who receives home care
Experts fear new guidelines for local authorities could make it harder for individuals to plan for long term care.
From April 2003, eligibility for home care could rely on location, when councils will be required to apply eligibility criteria to all new referrals and requests for help.
Chris Ellicott, technical manager at Age Concern Financial Partnerships, said: 'The Department of Health (DOH) has issued guidance to local authorities in England on the eligibility for care at home, which is where everyone wants to stay if they need care.'
The guide states: 'Due to the different resource positions of councils, the guidance does not require councils to reach similar decisions on eligibility, or to prove similar services, to people in similar needs.'
Ellicott added: 'In other words, the one sort of care most people want is going to remain a postcode lottery. It does not make sense to hope for the best and rely on your local authority to look after you at home if you need care.'
Owain Wright, head of the Care Funding Bureau, agreed: 'This could definitely lead to a postcode lottery for care. It would be nice to have some certainty as it makes it easier for people to plan ' especially with long term care insurance.'
The guidance, which has been sent to councils across the UK, says councils should operate one eligibility decision for everyone requiring social care support, decided by a single question ' should people be helped or not?
When assessing eligibility the DOH has devised four bands ' critical, substantial, moderate and low. However, it has stressed that when councils place individuals into a particular band, they must not only look at immediate needs but also needs that would worsen if help was declined.
However, Roger Edwards, head of products at Scottish Life, believed the guidance only added to consumer confusion: 'This is another chapter in an endless saga of who is eligible for care and who is not. When the Government responded to the Royal Commission's findings, it was good news as it laid down guidelines. However, this news now means people do not know what the score is and may have an unpleasant surprise in the future. When people don't know the rules it causes confusion and there is no clarity at all.'
l For a copy of the guidelines visit www.doh.gov.uk
