Care home costs to be capped
David Cameron is to push ahead with proposals to cap the cost of care home fees for the elderly, following a lengthy debate within government over the affordability of the plans. Last month Andrew Lansley, the health secretary, suggested that the Treasury was blocking the plan on cost grounds. But the Prime Minister is now expected to announce the change in policy this autumn. The proposal aims to remove the need for elderly people to sell their houses to pay for care in old age. No figure has been set for the cap but the original intention was a £35,000 limit on fees, with the government meeting all additional care costs. This would cost the country approximately £1.7bn per year.