MONEY MATTERS

摘要

There is one small word on the lips of people in council adult social care and finance departments, and it has caused a big reaction - free.That's because the Government has pledged that the most needy elderly people will not have to pay for care in their homes. On Monday, the Personal Care at Home Bill continued its journey towards becoming law.What is giving much food for thought is the saying that 'there is no such thing as a free lunch! Someone always has to pay and in this case, it appears to be local authorities.That really is not the sort of news council finance directors want when the nation's public finances are in such a mess.It is also not the sort of news they were expecting until the Queen's Speech and the prime minister's announcement of the pledge which, rather surprisingly, overtook the Government's original plans of tackling the thorny issue of funding the growing demand from an ageing population. Surely, it can be no coincidence that an election is just around the corner.