Having enough money to pay for care costs in the final years of life is a major concern for many and, despite promises made by governments in the past about limiting the impact on people, in reality the scale of the problem is such that the potential impact on a person’s estate has risen year by year.

Care costs will only be fully met by the local authority when the assets of the person needing care fall below £14,250. When assets are above £23,250, the costs must be fully met by the person in care. Council funding rules require the care home resident to be left with £24.90 per week for their personal needs.

It was therefore both unfortunate and unsurprising when these limits were left unchanged for the ninth successive year.

A care home place costs on average more than £30,000 a year and a nursing home place more than £40,000, which is roughly five times the basic state pension. Care home costs can decimate the assets of a person who has saved throughout their life, leaving them with very little to pass on to their family.