Tories favour insurance scheme to look after elderly

THE Tories are considering introducing of an insurance scheme to tackle the care crisis.

A long awaited Green Paper on the plans is expected to include the option that every adult in England would pay into a national care fund.

The national insurance idea was

announced by Health Secretary Matt Hancock as the Mirror launches its Fair Care for All campaign, demanding the elderly are afforded proper care.

Critics said the Tory idea could leave those unable to pay extra contributions abandoned without extra Government funding. Mr Hancock said the proposal would be modelled on the autoenrolment system of pensions where people would have to opt out if they did not want to pay in.

He said: “I’m attracted to the model of auto-enrolment, which has been so successful in pensions. It takes away the injustice of people losing all that they have saved for.”

A third of Brits aged over 55 do not know how they will pay for the their care, research by advocate group Healthwatch found. PENSION MODEL Matt Hancock