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Public not prepared to face up to challenges of paying for social care, ippr/PwC research reveals

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18 March 2010

Few people are prepared to face up to the challenges of paying for a better social care system, according to research published today (18 March, 2010) by the Institute for Public Policy Research (ippr) and PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP (PwC).

Last week a cross-party Parliamentary Health Committee report said social care was too important for pre-election “political point-scoring” and called for consensus between parties so that the necessary tough decisions on social care could be taken. But it is not only politicians who are unable to agree on what future social care provision should cover, or how it should be funded.

Key research findings:

The public do not have a clear idea of how the care system works beyond rejecting what is currently available and asking for a fairer and simpler system.
Most people have no idea how they will foot the bill when they, or their loved ones, need care and don’t want to face the issue of payment or care needed until they have to.
People want payment decisions to be completely separate from decisions on the levels and forms of care. They believe people should get the care and support they need and this should be provided by society as a whole.

This strengthens our call that an independent panel be established by Government – tasked with engaging the public in a debate to raise awareness about the future of social care.

ippr Co-Director Lisa Harker said:

”This report suggests that the lack of a political consensus on paying for social care is mirrored by a lack of consensus among the public. Our research shows people want to see a better system, but they don’t agree on what it would look like or who should pay. People want fairer, more sustainable and simpler social care system. But a good deal more engagement with the public is needed to come up with a social care model that would command widespread support.”

Amanda Kelly, partner, PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP said:

“Our research shows that people don’t want to worry about how they fund their care at the point at which they need it. They are clear about the care they want for themselves and their families, but confused by the complexity of the ways of paying for care. We need a public debate which will test the principles of how we deliver a fair, sustainable and simple system.”

Notes to editors

1) The latest research findings are based on a series of deliberative workshops – also known as Citizens’ Juries – with people aged over 65, people currently seeking employment and groups of professionals and social care stakeholders, carried out in 4 locations. The study is a partnership between ippr and PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP looking at how future systems of social care should work and how they should be funded.

This work builds on Expectations & Aspirations: Public attitudes towards social care (London: ippr and PWC, 2009), published before the Government’s Green Paper, which highlighted that there could be a ‘ticking timebomb’ around the issue of social care with many families reluctant to care for elderly relatives.

For more information, contact:

Monica Evans, interim press officer, ippr: 020 7470 6112 / m.evans@ippr.org

Katherine Howbrook, media relations, PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP: 020 7212 2711 / 07515 119 096 / Katherine.j.howbrook@uk.pwc.com

About ippr
The Institute for Public Policy Research is the UK’s leading progressive think tank, producing cutting-edge research and innovative policy ideas for a just, democratic and sustainable world. Since 1988, we have been at the forefront of progressive debate and policymaking in the UK. Through our independent research and analysis we define new agendas for change and provide practical solutions to challenges across the full range of public policy issues.

With offices in both London and Newcastle, we ensure our outlook is as broad-based as possible, while our Global Change programme extends our partnerships and influence beyond the UK, giving us a truly world-class reputation for high quality research.

Policy Critical: The new ippr election 2010 blog – follow us at http://ippr-policycritical.blogspot.com/

About PricewaterhouseCoopers
PricewaterhouseCoopers (www.pwc.com) provides industry-focused assurance, tax and advisory services to build public trust and enhance value for our clients and their stakeholders. More than 163,000 people in 151 countries across our network share their thinking, experience and solutions to develop fresh perspectives and practical advice. "PricewaterhouseCoopers" refers to PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP (a limited liability partnership in the United Kingdom) or, as the context requires, the PricewaterhouseCoopers global network or other member firms in the network, each of which is a separate and independent legal entity.

Read Dalia Ben-Galim's blog piece on this issue at http://ippr-policycritical.blogspot.com/