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Personal Care at Home Bill

My Lords, I listened to the noble Lord, Lord Best, and I too was pleased to be reassured. Extra-care housing is ideal for people. Every smart investor running a care home will of course go for that, because it will be a great bonus for them. We should not create something that makes it more attractive; we should aim at that standard of extra-care housing for as many people as possible. We should not have this difference between accommodation in a residential home where people get all their care paid for if they are in a certain category, and another category where care would not be paid for. We are inviting such a situation with the Bill, because we are covering those who should be able to pay their own bills. I would love it if someone paid all my bills, but I would not consider myself entitled to it—I would think that I was not needy enough. The money should be spent on those who have real need. I find it strange that we are so concerned to bring in a law that will help only an additional 110,000 people, according to the answer that I had from the Minister earlier in our debates. The points raised by the noble Baroness, Lady Barker, about the damage that might be done to the services now available, were sound. Local authorities are very concerned that instead of being able to continue the amount of help they are currently giving to the most needy, in terms of assistance and finance, help will be so enlarged as to cover those who could well afford to pay their own bills. We risk doing away with services that are vital to those who cannot pay and who may find their services reduced. I support the amendment.