BURSTOW LISTENS AS SUTTON SENIORS MAKE THE CASE FOR FAIR CARE

9.14.16am GMT Mon 16th Nov 2009

Local Liberal Democrat MP, Paul Burstow, met with a group of Sutton seniors last week (Friday13th November) to listen to their views about how the care system should be organised and funded in the future. The listening event was organised by Sutton Borough Age Concern as part of the organisations consultation on the Government's Green Paper on Care and Support.

Before Mr Burstow arrived at the meeting the seniors spent the morning discussing how care should be paid for, what sort of care was needed, the benefits system, and pressure on incomes and the questions they wanted to put to their MP. One of the top concerns raised by the group was the proposal in the Government's Green Paper to scrap the Attendance Allowance benefit that is paid to older people on the basis of their need for extra support. The allowance is not means tested and is worth between £47.10 and £70.35 per week.

Paul Burstow MP said, "I found it very helpful to listen to what some of the areas senior citizens have to say about care. The concern about Attendance Allowance is a very real one, there are thousands of people in this area who receive the benefit and many more who would be entitled to it if they claimed. It is the perfect direct payment giving people choice and control over the care and support they need. I hope the Government will abandon plans to scrap it.

"Care of older people has long been neglected by the Labour Government, Tony Blair promised in 1996 to end the scandal of people having to sell their homes to pay for care. What we need is a comprehensive overhaul of the system of paying for care that fairly shares the burden and the risk of paying for long term care. That means a partnership between Government and the individual sharing the cost to guarantee a good quality of care for all."

ENDS