Sunday 7 August 2022 01:34 AM Care home fees rocket by 20 PER CENT in hammer blow for middle-class families trends now
Eldery care home residents who pay their own way face typical annual bills of £50,000 after their fees jumped by more than a fifth this year, an investigation by The Mail on Sunday shows.
Self-funders, who represent a third of residents, were already paying far more than local authorities do for state-funded residents at the same properties.
Anyone needing care who has assets such as savings or a house worth more than £23,250 must use them to pay their fees. Councils pay for those without assets.
Council bosses use their position as the main customer for most care homes to drive down their bills. So those who pay for themselves have bigger bills.
Amid soaring energy and fuel bills, care homes are also passing on their increased costs to private payers. This means that fees for private residents are up by 22 per cent this year, but fees paid by local authorities have risen by 8 per cent to £33,644 a year.
Amid soaring energy and fuel bills, care homes are also passing on their increased costs to private payers
Average weekly fees for private, often middle-class customers have climbed £173 to £949 in 12 months, while for councils they are up £596 to £647, analysis of figures from the care consultancy LaingBuisson shows.
Executive chairman William Laing said: ‘It is easier for care homes to pass on price increases to self-funders than the local council.
‘Local authorities are often paying for half or more of residents, and they use this bargaining power... to negotiate rates below sustainable levels. It’s very different for private pay residents. What can
