Sublime

How much would good care and support cost, now and in the future? How should these costs be shared fairly between individuals, families and the state, taking account of the wildly differing financial circumstances within and between generations? How should the state raise the money to pay for publicly funded care? The questions of funding.

The best estimates suggest this spend could be around £11 billion; not far off half as much again as what councils spend (DHSC, 2021a).

Then there is the work of voluntary organisations in social care supported by fundraising from members of the public – another £4.8 billion (NCVO, 2021).

Projections are that, by 2050, one in four people in the UK will be aged 65 and over. Over the next 20 years, the number of people aged 85 and over – the group with the greatest needs for social care – is set to double (ONS, 2019).

who provides care, both paid and unpaid, and what is the right balance between the responsibilities of families, communities and the state.