Social care cap could expose poorer homeowners to ‘catastrophic' costs

Government proposals prompt warning of revolt by red wall Tories

- Robert Booth

Tens of thousands of England’s poorest pensioners face paying the same for their old age care as wealthier people after the government published details of the new cap on home and care costs. The change of plan is expected to save the government hundreds of millions of pounds but leave many poorer homeowners exposed to “catastrophic costs” including the need to sell their homes to cover long-term care, analysts said.

Amid a barrage of criticism last night, Boris Johnson was warned that MPs in the so-called red wall could revolt when the changes are put to a vote.

In September Boris Johnson announced an £86,000 cap on the amount anyone in England would pay for social care, saying: “The state should target its help at protecting people against the catastrophic fear of losing everything to pay for the cost of their care, and that is what this government will do.”

The cap was expected to amount to a combination of all care costs including means-tested council funding. But yesterday, while MPs at Westminster were focused on the scandal over MPs’ second jobs, the Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC) said only private contributions would be counted.

That means that a pensioner with a £90,000 home in Burnley who qualifies for council help could pay the same for their care out of their own pocket as someone with property worth £250,000 or more in Surrey who is too wealthy for means-tested assistance. Care bills could still eat into almost all of their assets, forcing the sale of the house.

Labour said the government had “failed to be straight” with elderly people and described the care costs cap as a “con”. It said the announcement was “sneaked out today under a cloud of Tory sleaze”.