I have been awaiting the recommendations from the Dilnot Commission with great anxiety. Over the past few days, as the media have reported what they expected the report to say, I even found myself thinking that the best I could hope for is to die young. I am glad to say that now I have seen more of the detail I am somewhat less worried, at least, that is, until Government decide how to implement it or not.

 

I am a deafblind person with additional impairments, in my mid 30s and with a job. I use Direct Payments to pay a communicator-guide for a few hours a week. Without this support, I am unable to get out of my flat and my only human contact is through work. As I work mostly from home, even with work, I can go weeks without seeing anyone. So, my social care is very important to me.

 

The most interesting recommendation of the report for me is that there should be a cap on the amount any individual has to pay towards their social care and that above this amount, the state should pay. They propose this working on a sliding scale so that people who develop social care needs before age 40 have to pay nothing, from age 40 the cap would be set at £10,000 and this would increase by £10,000 each decade up to £35,000 at age 65. 

 

As someone under the age of 40 with social care needs, naturally I like this proposal, as on face value I should have to pay nothing. However, it is not that simple. Another proposal, made by both the Dilnot Commission and the Law Commission, is that there should be national eligibility criteria. Whilst I strongly support this proposal, because the current postcode lottery is appallingly unfair, we do not yet know what any such national eligibility criteria may look like and that is a cause of some concern.

 

I have a progressive condition. If my current needs failed to meet the new eligibility criteria I would have to pay for some support myself. Whilst I am fortunate to be working and so able to pay for a little support, this would prevent me from being able to save towards my future contribution to my social care as my needs increase and become eligible.

 

The Commission hopes that people will have the option to purchase insurance to cover their contribution to social care but, as I have a progressive condition, it’s highly unlikely that anyone would want to insure me. So, I have to hope that my needs are eligible before I reach age 40 so that the zero cap applies.

 

Overall I am quite pleased by the recommendation. However, even if Government accepts all of the recommendations, and there is no guarantee that they will, a lot will depend on how it is implemented in practice and, so, I am readying myself for a tough battle. 

 

Originally published in July 2011