Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://hdl.handle.net/10419/109664 
Authors: 
Year of Publication: 
2015
Citation: 
[Journal:] DIW Economic Bulletin [ISSN:] 2192-7219 [Volume:] 5 [Issue:] 14/15 [Publisher:] Deutsches Institut für Wirtschaftsforschung (DIW) [Place:] Berlin [Year:] 2015 [Pages:] 203-208
Publisher: 
Deutsches Institut für Wirtschaftsforschung (DIW), Berlin
Abstract: 
In 2013, some 2.6 million people received long-term care benefits. The number of benefit recipients has risen by 45 percent since 1998. A good 70 percent of benefit recipients, roughly 1.7 million people, are cared for at home and nearly 30 percent in a nursing facility. There are also a significant number of individuals who are dependent on care but not to such an extent that they are entitled to benefits from their care insurance. Instead, they are almost all cared for at home. Long-term care is usually a major burden on the individuals and households concerned. Alongside health-related restrictions, there are also additional costs due to medical expenses and care. At the same time, related caregivers often earn less, since they are forced to reduce working hours to take on care commitments. The present study shows thatcare households have similar incomes to households without care recipients. However, transfer payments for care recipients make up a relatively high share of total income. Moreover, care recipients' assets are far lower than those of individuals without care needs. Care recipients living alone have particularly limited financial resources, and they represent more than 40 percent of all care households.
Subjects: 
long-term care
wealth
income distribution
JEL: 
I14
I38
Document Type: 
Article

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