Lib Dems Demand An End to Elderly Care Charges

Elderly people in Bedfordshire and their families will be annoyed to learn this week that they are effectively being treated like third class citizens when it comes to paying for care.

Since Monday, elderly people in Scotland will receive free nursing care and free personal care such as help with bathing, feeding and dressing. Welsh pensioners are set to receive some provision starting later this year, leaving the elderly in England worst off. The Labour government failed to take on board the recommendations of the Royal Commission on Long-term care as far as England is concerned.

Launching a petition demanding free personal care for the elderly in England too, Lib Dem Councillor Christine McHugh said:

"It is estimated that between 100,000 and 250,000 people in residential and nursing care would benefit from excluding nursing and personal care costs from the means test. I believe that as many as 70,000 people had to sell their homes last year to fund long term care which is an utter scandal. These are the same people who were promised care from the cradle to the grave and who paid into that system all their lives."

She added

"I hope people will sign the petition to put pressure on the government to follow the lead of Scotland and Wales and guarantee dignity not discrimination."

The Liberal Democrats handed in a 12,000 signature petition to Downing Street last week calling for Free Personal care in England. Cllr McHugh's petition will add to that campaign following the scrapping of charges for personal care in Scotland on 1 July, and is a part of a national ongoing campaign for a fair deal for pensioners by the Liberal Democrats.