Johnny Timpson has called on protection and health insurers to “do better” by introducing signposting solutions for carers to their added value services.
Timpson’s comments follow similar criticism levelled at the Department for Work and Pensions which led to his resignation from the Prime Minister’s Champion Group for Dementia Communities in protest at DWP policy last month.
Case of 93 year old woman
When announcing his decision, Timpson (pictured) highlighted the case of a 93-year-old lady with dementia that the DWP was making repay more than £7,000 in disability allowance.
At the time Timpson took to LinkedIn to say: “If there was ever a case for DWP applying its own policy and importantly, taking learning from the vulnerable customer and protection from harm policy and practice applying in UK regulated sectors, particularly in relation to people with disabilities and unpaid carers, then it’s this.”
But last week, The Guardian reported government ministers had since formally apologised and repaid the money to the woman.
More protection and health insurers can do
While welcoming government’ action when speaking to Health & Protection late last week, Timpson maintained there was more the protection and insurance sector could do to help carers and cited an example set by MorganAsh, where he is chairman.
“At MorganAsh we have a service called Care Navigator which a number of organisations use the service but it is not something used mainstream at the moment in the protection and health market place and some other financial services sectors as well,” Timpson told Health & Protection.
“There are 10 million carers in the UK. There are probably about 6.5 million adult carers in the UK.
“Being a carer is a characteristic of being vulnerable.
“Care Navigator is a service where you have care professionals that counsel carers. It can be everything and anything, from what welfare benefits you’re entitled to if you’ve got to a point where you need to transition from domiciliary to residential social care, how you go about doing that, and – given your circumstances and your family’s – what’s the best care options are for them.
“But there’s all sorts of support around helping carers understand what support there is available to them in their local communities and helping them access that.”
Adding to added value services
Timpson further challenged the protection and health insurance sectors to add these sorts of solutions to their added value services.
“Why not start with having the support? It’s all very well me calling out the DWP, saying if you step up, it would be better.
“But do you know what? The protection and health industry could step up to be better too.
“It’s the kind of thing that MorganAsh are doing now – putting carers in contact with people who understand what they are doing, what they are going through and help them navigate everything – from helping them how they can access welfare benefits, social tariff schemes and grants. Do they understand what their occupational support provision is at work?
“Helping them navigate that and helping them navigate the support that’s available to them in their local community in terms of accessing respite care and looking at putting them in contact with social partnerships provided by their local primary care trust.”
