Residency of 10 years to be needed for care benefits

People would have to have lived in Guernsey or Alderney for a total of 10 years to be eligible for long term care benefits.

Current rules mean claimants must have lived in the bailiwick for five continuous years and for at least 12 months before making a claim.

Previously the States voted to make it a 20-year residency requirement, but an amendment by Deputy Jayne Ozanne halved that.

Deputy Ozanne said a majority of the Employment & Social Security Committee believed that 10 years "strikes the right balance".

Health and Social Care president Deputy George Oswald seconded the amendment.

He said that any delays, including access to the long term care fund, need to be avoided to reduce bed blocking at the hospital.

"Delayed discharge from care arises mainly from a lack of appropriate places in the community.

"This past winter... at one point 34 clients were still in hospital as a result of delayed discharge from care. The longest delay recorded this year so far has been 250 days."

Oswald said that delayed discharge was not a "winter issue".

"This summer, in August at one point 31 service users at the Princess Elizabeth Hospital were in this category. Effectively the capacity of one of our medical wards."

Deputy Neil Inder voted against the reduction to the residency requirements.

"Guernsey's Long Term healthcare system is built on a general principle of mutual contribution and commitment to the island overtime.

"Someone who has lived, worked, paid taxes, contributed to the island for 20 years has demonstrated a significantly greater long term commitment than someone who has only been resident for 10 years."

Inder said that reducing the qualification period was "unfair"

"I believe that is significant," he said.

"We cannot be an open door when you can come here for 10 years, previously a lot lower, and effectively act like health tourists and gain access to a very good health system."

However, ESS president deputy Tina Bury believed it was a fairer system.

"Right now, most people accessing the long term care fund have not contributed because it only started in 2003," she said.

"Potentially under the 20 years, we will get to the point where people have been here and contributed for 19 years will be not be able to access the fund."

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