Wealth

Recent research, such as that carried out by the Institute of Fiscal Studies in their Deaton Review of 2022 , does indicate a growing wealth gap between today’s older adults and those of working age. We also do not yet know whether the charging reform proposals outlined in the ‘People at the Heart of Care’ government white paper will be implemented.

Gloucestershire is a relatively wealthy county and an attractive place for older people to retire to and we do not expect this to change over the next 20 years. However, it is important that providers who primarily support those who fund their own care do not assume that these current levels of wealth in older people, often backed by home ownership and more generous pensions, will continue indefinitely. This could mean that less of those adults who are currently in their 40s, 50s and  60s have the resources to fund their own care and could therefore need to access Gloucestershire County Council-funded care sooner.