The social care system will come under ever-increasing pressure as the number of people in the UK aged over 85 is set to double in the next 25 years, according to official projections, raising questions about the system’s ability to cope.
The government statistics, released on Wednesday (12 January), project the number of people living past 85 will increase from 1.7 million in 2020 to 3.1 million by 2045. This cohort of the population will then make up about 4.3% of the total. Just Group said the numbers "lay bare" the challenge faced by the social care system. The government last year announced major reforms to social care funding with a 1.25% increase to National Insurance scheduled from 2022/23 and a cap on care costs set at £86,000. The cap, however, does not include accommodation costs and has faced questions on how ...
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