So, I sat down last night to watch the budget, ready to take notes about how much extra was going to be put into our desperately underfunded social care system....and I waited....and waited....and waited.....
Was I naive? Maybe...I know there is a recession on, but with the government green paper on social funding out any day soon, I had hoped to be busy writing on how the changes would affect carers and those needing care. Not to be....
Ok, so what help do the elderly get?
HOW DOES THE BUDGET AFFECT YOU?
Winter fuel allowance - A one-off increase in the Winter Fuel Allowance will be maintained for another year – worth £250 for over 60s and £400 for the over 80's.
Pension Credit - Currently, the first £6000 of a pensioner's savings are excluded from the assessment of their entitlement to pension credit, housing benefit and council tax benefit. From the autumn, this cut off point will rise to £10,000, benefitting about 540,000 by approx £4 per week.
ISA savings - Starting immediately, the tax-free Isa savings allowance for the over 50's will rise from £7,200 to £10,200.
Pension - The state pension would continue to rise, but this was already guaranteed. However, it is almost certain that pensioners will receive the basic minimum 2.5 per cent rise, meaning an increase of just £2.40 to £97.65. Millions of older women will get just £1.45 more.
Age Concern and Help The Aged have commented
"the failure to provide emergency funding for our creaking social care system will exacerbate the current crisis. In an era of difficult financial choices, ministers must not use the recession as an excuse to starve the care system of funds it urgently needs or be distracted from much needed long-term reform."
The National Pensioners Convention have commented
"It's clear that the message to pensioners from today's Budget is stop counting your savings, don't turn up your heating, and if you make it to next April, make sure you don't spend your extra £2.40 all at once."
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