Review of the Long-Term Care Scheme
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WQ.127/2026
WRITTEN QUESTION TO THE MINISTER FOR SOCIAL SECURITY BY DEPUTY S.J. GLEAVE OF ST. HELIER SOUTH
QUESTION SUBMITTED ON MONDAY 6th JULY 2026 ANSWER TO BE TABLED ON MONDAY 13th JULY 2026
Question
"Will the Minister commit to undertaking and publishing a comprehensive review of the Long-Term Care Scheme before bringing forward any proposal to increase Long-Term Care contribution rates; and if not, why not?"
Answer
The Budget 2026 to 2029, published in September 2025, identified the urgent need for a review of the Long-Term Care Fund and its funding:
"Costs are increasing rapidly at present driven by a combination of demographic changes and the increasing complexity of care packages. There has been a sharp increase in costs since the preparation of the 2025 Budget and future costs are forecast to continue to rise steeply over the next few years.
Urgent action is now needed to maintain the Fund. This can be achieved by increasing the contributions into the Fund or by reducing the range or value of benefits provided from the Fund.
The estimates for 2027 to 2029 in the table below include an increase of 1 percentage point in the LTC contribution rate from 1 January 2027. Any rate change will require legislation and a States Assembly debate. Ministers have instigated a detailed internal review of the LTC scheme to consider the way in which benefit levels are set and income and assets of claimants are taken into account as well as the way in which services are delivered. The outcome of this detailed review will be available to the incoming Council of Ministers in summer 2026 to allow for a decision to be made during 2026 as to the actions needed to increase contributions into the Fund and/or reduce the generosity of benefits paid out of the Fund for future new benefit applicants, to ensure the sustainability of the Fund in coming decades."
The need for urgent action is evident.
This review has been undertaken by the Department, and an initial report has been drafted. I will be considering its contents in the coming weeks before finalising the report and making recommendations to the Council of Ministers. Any proposal to increase Long-Term Care contribution rates will be accompanied by a detailed report based on the outcome of the review.