The Care Act helps to improve people’s independence and wellbeing. The Care Act sees the biggest change to care and support legislation in over 60 years.
Read the Care Act 2014 legislation
Find out more about The Care Act 2014 on GOV.UK
If you or someone you know receives care and support, or you support someone as a carer, you could benefit from the changes.
Changes for April 2015 include:
- promoting people’s wellbeing and independence, and providing clear information and advice
- the introduction of a consistent, national eligibility criteria
- new rights for carers who need support
- legal right to a personal budget and direct payment
- deferred payment agreements will be available across England
- new responsibilities around transition, provider failure, supporting people who move between local authority areas and safeguarding
- the extension of local authority adult social care responsibility to include prisons.
Find out more about the changes to the Care Act on GOV.UK
Major Reforms for 2016 delayed
The next reforms under the Care Act due to come into force on the 1 April 2016 have been delayed until 2020. This includes:
- care accounts
- a lifetime cap on care costs
- increase in capital threshold for people in residential care and own their own home
- changes to the appeals process.