Committee for Employment and Social Security - P.2017/87
The States are asked to decide:
Whether, after consideration of the Policy Letter entitled 'Benefit and Contribution Rates for 2018', dated 2nd October 2017, they are of the opinion:
1. To set the contributions limits and rates as set out in Table 4 of that Policy Letter, from 1st January 2018.
2. To set the standard rates of contributory social insurance benefits as set out in Table 7 of that Policy Letter, from 1st January 2018.
3. To set the prescription charge per item of pharmaceutical benefit at £3.90, from 1st January 2018.
4. To set the contribution (co-payment) required to be made by the claimant of care benefit, under the Long-term Care Insurance Scheme, at £200.62 per week, from 1st January 2018.
5. To set the maximum weekly long-term care benefit at the rates set out below, from 1st January 2018:
a) £444.57 per week residential care benefit for persons resident in a residential home;
b) £585.76 per week elderly mentally infirm (EMI) benefit for qualifying persons in a residential home; and
c) £829.99 per week nursing care benefit for persons resident in a nursing home or the Guernsey Cheshire Home.
6. To set the maximum weekly respite care benefit at the rates set out below, from 1st January 2018:
a) £645.19 per week for persons receiving respite care in a residential home;
b) £786.38 per week for the elderly mentally infirm (EMI) rate for persons receiving respite care in a residential home; and
c) £1,030.61 per week for persons receiving respite care in a nursing home or the Guernsey Cheshire Home.
7. To set the supplementary benefit requirement rates at the rates set out in Table 13 of that Policy Letter, from 5th January 2018.
8. To set the weekly benefit limitations for supplementary benefit at the rates set out below, from 5th January 2018:
a) £670 for a person living in the community;
b) £549 for a person who is residing in a residential home; and
c) £787 for a person who is residing as a patient in a hospital, nursing home, the Guernsey Cheshire Home, or as an elderly mentally infirm resident of a residential home.
9. To set the amount of the personal allowance payable to persons in Guernsey and Alderney residential or nursing homes who are in receipt of supplementary benefit at £31.41 per week, from 5th January 2018.
10. To set the amount of the personal allowance payable to persons in United Kingdom hospitals or care homes who are in receipt of supplementary benefit at £52.91 per week, from 5th January 2018.
11. To set the supplementary fuel allowance paid to supplementary benefit householders at £27.20 per week, from 27th October 2017 to 27th April 2018.
12. To set the rate of family allowance at £13.90 per week, from 1st January 2018.
13. To set the rates and annual income limit for severe disability benefit and carer's allowance at the rates and limit set out in Table 17 of that Policy Letter, from 1st January 2018.
14. To rename "supplementary benefit" as "income support" and to make all necessary amendments to legislation to allow and reflect the name change.
15. To direct the preparation of such legislation as may be necessary to give effect to the above decisions.
The above Propositions have been submitted to Her Majesty's Procureur for advice on any legal or constitutional implications in accordance with Rule 4(1) of the Rules of Procedure of the States of Deliberation and their Committees.
