MP brands care reforms as ‘a dog’s breakfast’

The draft Care and Support Bill, designed to create a single law for adult care and support in England, could leave local authorities open to a “deluge of disputes and legal challenges”, a cross-party group of MPs and peers said.

Former care minister Paul Burstow , chair of the joint committee on the Bill, said the legislation as it stands is a “dog’s breakfast”. The report says: “The introduction of a capped cost scheme, which will result in many more people being assessed and entitled to a personal budget, is likely to lead to an increase in disputes and legal challenges. We are not confident that ministers have yet fully thought through the implications for local authorities of these changes.”

The committee said the Government should consider giving a care and support tribunal the responsibility for resolving disputes over decisions about care.