Andrew Dilnot Urges State Insurance for Social Care Costs

Former Commission on the Funding of Care and Support chairman Sir Andrew Dilnot warned that UK families currently face a financial lottery regarding social care, with costs for some couples potentially reaching £2 million. Speaking with the Institute for Fiscal Studies, Dilnot argued that social care is fundamentally an insurance problem that only the state can solve by pooling catastrophic risk.

To protect individuals from financial ruin, Dilnot proposed a lifetime cap on care costs, suggesting a modern equivalent of £75,000 to £80,000. He urged Andy Burnham to implement a National Care Service and a system that properly funds means-tested care rather than conducting further reviews.

David Phillips of the Institute for Fiscal Studies noted that rising social care costs are squeezing council budgets for other services. This financial pressure has created a postcode lottery where the availability of support varies drastically by region.