5 November 2009
The government has gone back on a pledge to reveal the true cost of its proposed National Care Service before the green paper consultation period ends on November 13th, prompting further suspicions about the honesty of the whole consultation process.
As reported by Benefits and Work, (£20,000 shock birthday tax for all) the green paper rules out using general taxation to pay for everyone’s care and instead offers three options for funding the service, one of which is sending everyone a tax bill for £20,000 on their 65th birthday.
As soon as the green paper was produced, a number of charities asked for the figures that lay behind the government’s funding options so that they could make a proper judgement about which was the best. Having promised several times to release the figures, the government has now said they are not yet complete and so can’t be released.Community Care magazine reports that a coalition of charities – the Care and Support Alliance - is now set to make a Freedom of Information request to try to obtain the documents.The continued lack of candour from the government about funding, including which benefits are to be cut to pay for the National Care Service, can only increase the impression that this is a deeply dishonest consultation exercise in which the true cost to individuals is being kept carefully hidden.For the full story:
Adult green paper: Campaigners slam delay to financial model
Campaigners threaten FoI to reveal green paper finance data
