The progress report on funding reform, published alongside the white paper on social care today, has said a funding model based on principles outlined by the Dilnot Commission will only happen if a way to pay for it can be found.
It said: "The government agrees that the principles of the Commission's model would be the right basis for any new funding model - financial protection through capped costs and an extended means test."
It added: "If a way to pay for it can be found there remain a number of important questions and trade-offs to be considered about how those principles could be applied to any reformed system."
On the Dilnot Commission suggested care cost cap of between £25,000 and £50,000 per individual, the report said: "There was a discussion of the level of the cap, with some people suggesting that a cap could be set at the top of the commission's range - or even slightly higher (eg at £75,000) - without undermining the principles of the system."
The report indicated the most appropriate level for the cap might be higher than the Dilnot recommendation.
"Others recognised, given the fiscal circumstances, that a higher cap could provide a more affordable way to implement reform," it said.
Other questions were raised on how the cap rises over time, what is and is not counted in the cap, and the contribution to general living costs that people are expected to make; and who benefits and who should pay.
