Decline In State-Funded Care For The Elderly - Planning Ahead

Recent medical advancements have resulted in a growing elderly population, which has placed increasing pressure on public resources. With councils unable to contribute to the cost of care for the elderly at the same level as in previous years, the burden has fallen on individuals to pay for care from their own resources. This has made it increasingly important for the cost of care in later life to be taken into consideration when planning for retirement and estate planning for the next generation.

A recent Labour study has indicated that in the last two years there has been an 11% drop in the number of elderly people receiving council-funded care. With council budgets being reduced and more people living longer, the strain on council-funded care will almost certainly increase, resulting in growing numbers of the elderly population failing to benefit from funded care. Councils have been forced to tighten their eligibility criteria, with only those with the most