Committee for Employment & Social Security - P.2019/94
The States are asked to decide:
Whether, after consideration of the policy letter entitled 'Contributory benefit and contribution rates for 2020', dated 9th September 2019, 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 2020.
2. To set the standard rates of contributory social insurance benefits as set out in Table 6 of that policy letter, from 6th January 2020.
3. To set the prescription charge per item of pharmaceutical benefit at £4.10, from 1st January 2020.
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 £209.37 per week, from 6th January 2020.
5. To set the maximum weekly long-term care benefit at the rates set out below, from 6th January 2020:
a) £463.89 per week residential care benefit for persons resident in a residential home;
b) £611.24 per week elderly mentally infirm (EMI) benefit for qualifying persons in a residential home; and
c) £866.11 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 6th January 2020:
a) £673.26 per week for persons receiving respite care in a residential home;
b) £820.61 per week for the elderly mentally infirm (EMI) rate for persons receiving respite care in a residential home; and
c) £1,075.48 per week for persons receiving respite care in a nursing home or the Guernsey Cheshire Home.
7. To rename "old age pension" as "States pension" and to make all necessary amendments to legislation to allow and reflect the name change.
8. To note that the Committee intends to amend relevant legislation to enable prisoners of pension age to receive a lump sum payment of their pension, for that part of their imprisonment which is equivalent to the period that prisoners under pension age participate in the Release on Temporary Licence Scheme.
9. 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.
