The care crisis: burying our heads in the sand

SIR – My heart sinks to hear that proposals to cap the amount people must pay towards social care costs could be scrapped (report, October 12), despite a promise by the Conservatives during the last election to make such a cap a priority.

A cap would increase the fairness of social care and prevent some older people from being forced to sell their homes to cover the cost of their care.

The Government, as with previous administrations, appears to be burying its head in the sand over this issue. Putting today’s vulnerable older people at risk also affects tomorrow’s older generation, who may be even less able to fund their own care needs.

Anchor’s research shows that

70 per cent of Britons believe the social care funding crisis should be addressed urgently. We need a longterm, sustainable plan for social care funding, not U-turns and delays at every corner. Jane Ashcroft

CEO, Anchor London WC1

SIR – Jackie Doyle-price, the social care minister, has told pensioners that their homes should not be regarded as an asset to leave to whomever they wish.

On the contrary; if we have paid for the property and maintained it, then it belongs to us to do with as we wish within the confines of the law.

The reason that this particular asset class has grown in value, outpacing growth in other asset areas, is because successive governments have failed to ensure that we built enough houses to accommodate our fast-growing population. MPS need to take responsibility for this, rather than passing the buck back to the electorate. Grania Davy

Grayshott, Surrey

SIR – Ministers are complaining that older people are living in homes that could be too big for them, and think that they should downsize to let younger families have the means to buy suitable houses.

The same ministers should realise that it is the Government that has discouraged downsizing by increasing stamp duty. That tax is a disincentive to release homes. Bob Salmon

Greetham, Rutland