AFTER 10 years of devolution, a report has revealed that the Welsh Assembly Government cannot follow a radically
different policy on care for the elderly to that of the UK Government.

The Joseph Rowntree Foundation report, Devolution’s Impact on Low-Income People and Places, examined the effects of devolution on a number of key areas including care of the elderly.

It found that although the Welsh Assembly Government has responsiblity for long-term care policy and has formulated its own Strategy for Older People, in reality, “it cannot follow radically different long-term care policies.

“They are constrained by the UK structure of taxes and benefits, where power is ‘reserved’ to Westminster, wrote the report’s author, David Bell.

The report said there is little room for manoeuvre for devolved administrations because the system of benefits underpinning care provision – such as attendance allowance and carers allowance – is controlled by the Department for Work and Pensions in London. The administrations have little ability to influence its policies, it said.

Levels of support for long-term care also differ partly because of differences in UK Government funding under the Barnett Formula – the way this is calculated is a longstanding thorn in the side of Welsh politicians.

“Those more generously treated by the Barnett Formula can afford to provide better services, the report noted.

The devolved administrations are also at a disadvantage, said the report, because of they do not have the
resources to conduct and assess large-scale evaluations of policy effectiveness.

It added that much of the legislation that influences long-term care provision was passed before devolution. Changing this legislation to permit greater policy differentiation is not high on the legislative agenda, it noted.

Speaking about the research, JRF Director of Policy and Research Anne Harrop commented: “The evidence remains mixed as to the impact of devolution on the most disadvantaged people and communities. Greater collaboration and knowledge-sharing between the countries of the UK will ensure learning can be maximised across the UK.”