Jersey pensioners having to 'top up' long term care funding

• Report by ITV Channel TV's Richard Pallot

Older islanders in Jersey have been forced to dip into their pensions to cover the cost of their own long term care, ITV News can reveal.

Vulnerable people in Jersey say they believed the government would meet the cost, but are having to rely on their own savings to cover a shortfall.

Maureen Toy is one of many islanders who rely on daily visits to maintain their independence. She believed the costs were fully covered by Social Security - but was then presented with a bill due to a dispute around the hourly rate of the agency that provided the support.

She said, "I've been accepted by Social Security for long term care which they covered, but then last month I was presented with this account that I'm responsible for. So I had no idea.

"As I said to Social Security, I won't eat that week because I've got to find £85 which would have covered my food cost."

The discrepancies around costs can often be dependent on the rates set by the care agencies and when the agreements were made.

Jersey's government says a resolution to the current rate issue has now been agreed.

Jersey's Health Minister Deputy Richard Renouf says this situation should not be happening at all - but warns that taxes may have to increase in the future to meet the rising costs.

He said: "The care costs should be paid for. What's happening, I think, is that there's increasing costs in the care sector - costs of staff, PPE and the like - and the long term care fund has to catch up with that.

"I think the island has to wake up to the fact that we need to pay that cost if we want those services."