The fact the government's social care green paper is more than 700 days late is truly disgraceful.
Individuals can face unlimited bills if they need care in the UK today.
Families are facing an over-65s care funding postcode lottery, with people in some areas of the country four times as likely to be fully-funded than others, according to research from equity release adviser Key.
This level of financial uncertainty is disgraceful.
In later life, people need to know the costs they face and where they stand – struggling to stay in their own home alone, with enough cash to access a carer or money to fund a care home.
A government consultation paper on how to solve the care funding crisis was first promised in summer 2017, and as recently as the October Budget was promised ‘shortly’.
However, by the end of last year the government was admitting preparations for a no-deal Brexit were taking precedence over sorting out the way care is funded.
This week charity Age UK estimated more than 50,000 people have died waiting for help since the government said it would publish a green paper on social care.
This shouldn't be allowed to drag on for any longer.
Brexit is important but so is this issue.
Yes, we need a Brexit deal, but striking the terms of the UK's exit didn't need everyone in Westminster working on it for the past two years.
We have hundreds of politicians and some should be working on producing a social care deal that provides a stable and sustainable way of sharing costs between the state and individuals.
Because the cost of no social care deal is too great for families and the nation's elderly.
Yes, some people are stockpiling tins not because they fear what will happen to imports come Brexit, but many more are sitting in freezing homes scared about how much cash they might need to keep alive.
emma.hughes@ft.com
