Numbers of old receiving care crashes

THE number of elderly people receiving care has fallen by more than 250,000 in four years, Oldham MP Michael Meacher has uncovered.

And the Oldham West and Royton MP fears the situation is set to get worse.

In 2009-10, 1,147,695 people received care - down 22 per cent to 895,940 in 2012-13.

Mr Meacher says the changes being proposed by government will mean only those most in need will receive help.

He said: “These numbers are shocking. The most vulnerable in society are not getting help they should.”

Local authorities run social care services, such as home help with washing, eating and dressing or residential care, and assess people as having “critical”, “substantial”, “moderate” or “low” needs.

Different councils decide which need level they pay for. The Care Bill currently going through Parliament would set minimum criteria for all councils — and Health Minister Norman Lamb previously proposed that be “substantial” — pushing many people out of the system. Mr Meacher demanded government set out how many people in each of the categories are receiving help.

Mr Meacher’s concerns are shared by Age UK who said that setting a level at “substantial” would effectively set the minimum level too high and exclude hundreds of thousands of elderly people.