Evaluation of the June 2014 draft national minimum eligibility criteria for social care

The 2014 Care Act is introducing national minimum eligibility criteria for social care. Their introduction aims to reduce inappropriate variability in the assessment of needs and to guarantee a minimum level of support nationally. Importantly, the national minimum eligibility criteria should not lead to increases in overall levels of demand for social care services. Relative to the current Fair Access to Care system, the aim is to implement national minimum eligibility regulations broadly equivalent to the “substantial” needs threshold. The present study evaluates the likely implications of three alternative specifications of eligibility regulations. It builds on a number of previous analyses on the same topic by the research team (Fernandez, Snell, Forder, & Wittenberg, 2013; Fernandez & Snell, 2012, 2013).