Means-Testing in Health Service- A Report

Paper Summary:

This paper presents a report, written by a leading academic in the field of social policy, on means-testing for the elderly in Scotland. In the report, the author recommends that means-testing for the purposes of care for elderly people should be introduced in Scotland. More specifically, the author argues that, in terms of increasing costs, growing demand, and opposition to increased taxation, it is quite simply unrealistic to proceed with free personal care for the elderly.

Outline:
Introduction
Recommendation
Elderly Paid Taxes
Conclusions

From the Paper:

"It can also be argued that since wages are going up that people could afford to pay increased taxes. People should not care about paying increased taxes, this argument continues, as it would be helping other members of the community including the elderly. However, if taxes were to rise this could cause an outcry as people are increasingly reluctant to pay such increased taxes. More and more people, realising that the state retirement pension is becoming relatively less valuable, are coming to rely more on occupational and private pensions. So the argument that taxation should be increased to fund free personal care for the elderly is quite unrealistic in the present day and age. The vast majority of people today entering the labour force today accept that they are going to have to take responsibility for providing for themselves in their retirement and would be wholy opposed to any significant increase in taxation. "

Sample of Sources Used:

• UK Social Issues - by George Clarke, Frank Cooney & Irene Morrison- Pulse Publications, 2006. ISBN 0 948766 05 0
• BBC News and Archives sites on the Web

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