Have your say on proposed changes to the local Deferred Payment Agreement for residential care

Closed 24 Feb 2015

Opened 13 Jan 2015

Contact

ASC Deferred Payment Agreement Consultation, East Sussex County Council, County Hall, St Anne's Crescent, Lewes, BN7 1UE

01273 481 565

careact@eastsussex.gov.uk

Feedback updated 2 Apr 2015

We asked

We asked for your views on our proposals to change the existing East Sussex Deferred Payment Agreement (DPA) to reflect the requirements of the national Care Act 2014.

You said

You said there should be a choice about how to pay the charges, but you weren’t sure how often the annual administration charge should be invoiced. You said the DPA should be available to people moving into extra care and supported accommodation.

We did

We have given people a choice about whether to pay the charges or add them to the debt. We will invoice the annual administration charge on a six monthly basis. The DPA will be available as a ‘bridging loan’ to clients who are selling their home and moving into rented extra care housing or supported accommodation.

Results updated 2 Apr 2015

In total 65 people took part in the consultation, with 27 people completing a survey.

How we charge people

  • Just over two thirds think the set-up charge should be added to the debt (22 answered survey question).
  • Over half think the admin charge should be paid, rather than added to the debt (24 answered survey question).
  • The Inclusion Advisory Group felt that people should have a choice of whether to pay the charges or add them to the debt.
  • There was a mixed response on how often the admin charge should be paid (25 answered survey question), although six months was most frequently suggested across the survey and group feedback.
  • A couple of survey respondents and the group feedback mentioned the high cost of the charges and the problem of paying them.

Extending the DPA to people in Extra Care and sheltered housing

  • Just over two thirds think that the DPA should be extended to those moving into extra care housing and 4 respondents don’t think it should be (26 answered survey question).
  • Nearly half think that the DPA should be extended to those moving into sheltered housing and 5 respondents don’t think it should be (26 answered survey question).
  • The Inclusion Advisory Group felt that extending the scheme was a good idea but they did have concerns about the impact on the pot of money the Council has available to lend out.

Loaning additional money

  • A third think that we should consider lending additional money in exceptional circumstances (14 answered survey question).
  • The Inclusion Advisory Group felt that this was a good idea, as people would rather have the choice of where to go than be limited by the amount the Council typically lends. Cultural beliefs and LGBT needs should also be valid considerations when deciding whether to loan additional money.

General feedback from the groups

  • The East Sussex Seniors Association health and social care group was most concerned about take-up of the DPA and wanted to know that people would be told about the scheme if it was appropriate for them.
  • Other comments from the Inclusion Advisory Group included making sure the DPA is fair; that information about it is clear; and that advocacy is available as needed.
  • The two Carer Support Group discussions showed how complex financial assessments and the DPA are. People were concerned about the cost of care generally and the proposed charging costs for the DPA.

Files:

Overview

We asked for your views on our proposals to change the existing East Sussex Deferred Payment Agreement (DPA) to reflect the requirements of the national Care Act 2014.

Please note: Adult Social Care's Lead Member considered the consultation results and the revised draft policy for the DPA on 2 April. The revised policy was approved.

Deferred Payment Agreement: The Deferred Payment Agreement is a way to help people who own property to pay for residential care. We already run a DPA in East Sussex but not all local authorities do.

Why your views matter

We have been running a local DPA in East Sussex for many years. This consultation was about updating our existing DPA so that it meets the Care Act requirements. We also wanted to make sure it works well for the East Sussex residents who use it.

What happens next

Adult Social Care's Lead Member considered the consultation results and the revised draft policy for the DPA on 2 April. You can read a summary of the results and feedback or download a newsletter version below.

The revised policy was approved. People who use the existing DPA will not be affected by the changes. The new policy applies to all DPA’s signed after 1 April 2015.

Areas

  • All Areas

Audiences

  • Community groups or organisations
  • Voluntary groups or organisations
  • Public sector groups or organisations
  • Staff
  • Providers of services
  • Carers
  • Anybody with an interest
  • Older people
  • Disabled People
  • People who use our services

Interests

  • Older people
  • Disability
  • Care and support services (adults)
  • Carers support
  • Social care providers