A new survey by Saga Money shows that, while many over 50s agree that people who can afford it should contribute towards their care, setting the contribution they have to make too high would put them off saving for their future and home owners are most likely to say this.
Nici Audhlam-Gardiner, managing director of Saga Money, said: “The survey clearly shows that people are supportive of contributing to their own care, but not at any price. People find it grossly unfair that some people get all costs funded by the state, whilst others are faced with losing a huge part of the estate they have worked hard to build up.
“They strongly believe there should be a cap on care fees and that this should be set at around £60,000. If the government sets the cap too high or the floor too low then people of all ages are saying that this would put them off building wealth for the future.
“The concept of selling the family home before or after death to pay for care does not sit well with three quarters of people, but it is not just homeowners looking to protect their inheritance that feel this way. A similar number of people in rented accommodation also said that this concept was not right. Clearly we need to find a sustainable solution to our care funding crisis, however without a realistic care cap in place, the move risks having the opposite effect with people choosing to spend now rather than buying their homes or saving for later life – leaving the state to pick up an even bigger bill for the future.”