Symponia has called today's social care announcement "a clever pre-budget manoeuvre to create a seemingly positive headline and divert attention away from the ailing coalition, during Budget week."
The Chancellor George Osborne has revealed that in his forthcoming Budget he will bring forward key reforms to social care.
Changes include capping social care costs at £72,000 in 2016, 12 months earlier than originally intended and £3,000 lower than the previous figure announced. The Government will also bring in the single-tier pension of around £144 by 2016.
"Tomorrow we're going to say that we're going to bring forward the Dilnot cap," Osborne told the BBC, "the so-called cap on social care costs so people are protected from the rather random costs of getting a disease late in life and seeing your home sold to pay for those care costs."
Symponia, the national professional body for care fees planning advisers, described the lower cap as ‘token', as based on average social care costs, most people will arrive at the new cap only eleven weeks earlier than the previously touted £75,000.
Janet Davies, joint founder and managing director for Symponia said: "People should not be duped; this is another smoke and mirrors production by the coalition. We need the Government to be more transparent with its electorate.
"Shame on George Osborne for saying "once people have spent £72,000 they won't have to pay any more," it simply isn't true.
"The cap only relates to care costs, not accommodation, food and other ‘hotel style' services necessary to live.
"As such, the majority of self-funders now will continue to be self-funders even after their care cap has been exhausted."
