Learning from Germany’s long-term care social insurance approach

Local authorities, professional bodies and regulators report that adult social care in England is “in crisis” and at “tipping point”. To stimulate discussion of the issues, a green paper is promised for summer 2018, following numerous commissions, inquiries and election promises.

In anticipation of the green paper, the House of Commons Health and Housing, Communities, and Local Government Select Committees are holding a joint inquiry to examine what a sustainable funding arrangement might look like and how this can be achieved politically.

The German scheme

There are strong arguments in favour of a social insurance approach. In particular, much can be learned from the 20 years’ experience of long-term care insurance in Germany. Emeritus Professor Caroline Glendinning and Department of Politics PhD student Mathew Wills have submitted evidence to the Select Committees’ inquiry outlining the German scheme. Their selection committee submission outlines the lessons that England can learn from Germany about sustainable funding arrangements and achieving consensus on reform.

The German scheme is built on principles of universal protection against social risk and has proved both financially and politically sustainable. Despite a rapidly ageing population and recent reforms to extend eligibility and increase benefits levels, contributions have increased by less than 1 per cent over two decades. 

The University of York, and particularly the Social Policy Research Unit, has a long history of comparative research into the funding and organisation of social care in other countries, with a particular interest in how other countries support care-giving in families.

Further reading

LSE British Politics and Policy blog: What can England learn from the German approach to long-term care funding?

Read the selection committee submission: Achieving financial and political sustainability in social care funding. What ca (PDF , 934kb)