Health & Social Services Department
Ministerial Decision Report
Payment to the Long Term Care Fund of additional income received for HSSD clients
1. Purpose of Report
To approve the payment to the Long Term Care Fund of income in excess of the income target agreed in the MTFP for services commissioned or provided to long term care clients by the Health and Social Services Department (HSSD) with effect from 1 July 2014.
2. Background
In July 2011, the States approved the draft Long-Term Care (Jersey) Law 2012 (“the LTC Law”) which introduced a new scheme to provide financial support to eligible Jersey residents who have been assessed as having long term care needs under the provisions of the scheme. This law came into effect from 1 July 2014.
The Long-Term Care (Health and Social Services Charges)(Jersey) Law 2014 (“the HSSD LTC Charges Law”) also came into effect from 1 July 2014. This law enables HSSD to make charges to long term care clients for care commissioned or directly provided from its budget, up to the maximum benefit rate set under the LTC scheme.
The transitional funding arrangements for 2014 and 2015 are described in the Long-Term Care (States Contribution)(Jersey) Regulations 2013 (P.140/2013) –Addendum (“the Addendum”). Paragraph 6 prescribes that the resulting increase in HSSD income must be returned to the Long Term Care Fund.
The key points of the transitional funding arrangements concerning payments between HSSD and SSD for HSSD clients are:
- Prior to the enactment of the two laws, HSSD was only able to levy a fixed charge of £474 per week regardless of the income and assets on the individual receiving care or the value of the care provided. From 1 July 2014, HSSD is able to make charges that reflect the care provided, up to maximum benefit rate set under the Long-Term Care Scheme.
- The value of the payment into the LTC Fund must equal the reduction in the HSSD net budget and also the increase in its income.
- The estimated budgetary value to be allocated by HSSD as a payment to the LTCF in 2014 (6 months) was estimated in the Addendum to P.140/2013 at £2.8 million.
- The estimated budgetary value to be allocated by HSSD as a payment to the LTCF in 2015 (full year) was estimated to be £5.9 million.
- The Addendum specified that these amounts will be revised in line with actual LTCB payments and will match actual income received during the year. The actual values will be used in the calculation of the States’ contribution for 2016.
The estimates in the Addendum to P140/2013 were reviewed by Internal Audit prior to the enactment of the Long-Term Care (Jersey) Law 2012 and a further review of actual transactions will be undertaken early in 2015.
In the light of the payments due from the LTCF up to the 30 November 2014, the value of the additional income to be paid by HSSD to the LTCF has been calculated at £2,847,925.04, subject to final confirmation of December’s figures.
The estimate for 2015 remains at £5.9m.
- Recommendation
It is recommended that the Minister approves the payment of up to £2.85 million from the Health and Social Services Department revenue head of expenditure to the Long Term Care Fund in respect of the period 1 July to 31 December 2014, and up to £5.9 m for the period 1 January to 31 December 2015.
- Reason for Decision
To comply with HSSD’s commitment to make payments into the Long Term Care Fund equivalent to the budgetary values specified in the Long-Term Care (States Contribution) (Jersey) Regulations 2014 (P.140/2013) - Addendum.
Financial Direction 3.6, which requires the permission of the Treasury and Resources Minister to retain and spend additional income, is deemed not to apply as the decision of the States in the Addendum to P140/2013 prevails in this instance.
- Resource Implications
This decision results in payments of additional income received from the Long Term are Fund being repaid to the Long Term Care Fund. This decision does not result in any overall increase or decrease in the net expenditure of the States, as approved in the MTFP 2013-2015. This Decision does not impact on approved FTE manpower resources across the States.
Report author : Assistant Director of Finance | Document date : 22 December 2014 |
Quality Assurance / Review : | File name and path: K:\Ministerial Decisions\2014\LTC - payment to fund\Draft WR - HSS Transfer of LTCB additional income to LTCF v1.docx |
MD sponsor : Director of Finance |