The 2010 Labour Election Manifesto, published today, has revealed plans aimed at preventing homes being sold to pay residential care bills.
It says: "...from 2014, the National Care Service will cap the costs of residential care so that everyone's homes and savings are protected from care charges after two years."
The party says this will be paid for through the decision to freeze Inheritance Tax Thresholds until 2014-15, by a policy of encouraging more people over the State Pension Age to stay in work, and through "efficiencies across the NHS and the care system".
The Manifesto has also announced the creation of a National Care Service, equating it with the National Health Service. It says: "...we will continue to expand the use of individual budgets. And to drive up standards, we will develop a skilled and highly motivated workforce.
"From 2011 we will protect more than 400,000 of those with the greatest needs from all charges for care in the home, and we will create a national physio support service...These services are essential if we are to ensure more people are looked after in their homes and overall costs are to be controlled. They will be funded through savings and efficiencies in the health budget and in local government."
