The BBC have reported that the government have said the financial help poorer people get to cover their care will not count towards a new cap on costs

It was announced in September that from 2023 no one in England would pay more than £86,000 in care fees during their lifetime

Now it has been confirmed that support payments from local councils will not count towards this personal limit.

The cap on personal care costs is a central element of the government's plans to change how adult social care in England is funded.

From October 2023, the idea is that no one will pay more than £86,000 over their lifetime for personal care, such as washing, dressing and eating.

Once people have reached this cap, ongoing costs for personal care will be paid for by local authorities.

Money spent on living costs - such as food, energy bills and accommodation - would not count towards the limit.

The threshold for getting some council support to pay for costs will also be made more generous, with people with assets up to £100,000 able to qualify, rather than £23,250 currently.

The government did not specify in September whether people receiving these payments would be able to put them towards reaching the cap.

However, last week they published guidance confirming that only payments people make out of their own pocket will count.

The publication of this document also marks the start of a period of co-production of the statutory guidance with the sector, building on draft regulations and guidance published in 2015, and followed by a public consultation in the new year. It is intended that the regulations and final guidance will be published in spring 2022.

Labour said it makes the cap "an even bigger con than we initially thought".

Critics also argue it will make the cap harder to reach than under a previous version suggested by an official commission a decade ago.

But Boris Johnson has defended the government's plan, calling it a "massive improvement" on the current funding situation.

MPs will vote on whether to support the plans this week.

Full article:

The BBC - Government changes rules on social care cap