Jane Ashcroft expresses concerns about successive governments failure to address the social care crisis

Anchor’s Chief Executive Jane Ashcroft CBE has been featured in the national media after expressing concerns about successive governments failing to address the social care crisis.

In her letter, Jane highlights how the proposed ‘care ISA’ is a step in the right direction but is not an all-encompassing solution. 

Read Jane’s letter

A “care ISA” will do nothing for the people who would most need it

Successive governments have failed to address the social care funding crisis so reports that England’s social care system is lagging behind other countries makes for depressing reading.
 
The “care ISA” would be a step in the right direction. It would encourage those who can to plan for later life but more needs to be done for the less well-off.
 
The number of people ill-prepared for later life is worryingly high – Anchor’s research shows just 14 per cent of people are currently saving for care needs, and 22 per cent mistakenly think that all care is state-funded.
 
An ISA would help the well-off to cover their care costs but not the great many people who are struggling to make ends meet and would struggle to put money aside. The National Pensioners Convention states 32 per cent of older people are unable to afford a decent standard of living so a tax-free ISA would be of little use to them.
 
The ISA would need to be accompanied by a programme educating people about the importance of saving for their care, as well as a cap on the amount people spend on care.
 
Autumn’s long-awaited green paper is a chance for the government to turn this crisis around, giving today’s and tomorrow’s older people the respect and peace of mind they deserve.
 
Jane Ashcroft CBE – chief executive of Anchor