House of Lords delays Personal Care at Home Bill

2010-03-31 18:41:00

The House of Lords has voted for the introduction of Labour’s Personal Care at Home Bill to be delayed from October 2010 to April 2011 at the earliest. In the meantime, an independent study into the likely costs of the Bill will take place. The lengthy debate in the Lords saw a number of issues being raised around the Bill, including concerns that local authorities will struggle to find the £250 million that they are being asked to contribute to the total cost of £670 million. The Lords has also passed an amendment to the Bill which will cause it to lapse if it is not implemented within two years. Cross-bench peer Lord Best explained why the Lords has taken its decisions: ‘First there is the worry that they (the government) cannot get arrangements to help 400,000 people in a new way up and running in the next few months. These are months that will include local and national elections, with possible changes of local leadership and local policies, and which also cover the weeks of the summer holidays. And second, local authorities are concerned that their budgets have already been set for 2010-11.’ Care services minister Phil Hope expressed his dismay at the outcome of the Lords debate and spoke of the disappointment that care charities and people that are set to benefit from the Bill will feel.

The Personal Care at Home Bill, announced by Gordon Brown in October 2009, aims to provide free home care for 400,000 older people with the severest care needs. The Bill has attracted widespread criticism around the estimated costs – considered by experts as far too low – as well as doubts around how the care itself will be provided.