Tories would end sale of homes to fund care

A Tory government would spare thousands of pensioners the "indignity" of selling their homes to fund long-term care, Michael Howard promised today.

In a pitch for the grey vote, the Conservative leader unveiled the plans as he attacked Tony Blair for failing a generation of elderly people.

Mr Howard lambasted Labour for forcing 40,000 people a year to use their life savings and sell their property in order to pay for personal care.

Under the Tories' plans, a new partnership scheme between the public, insurance industry and government would ensure no one had to sell up.

Mr Howard said his party would consult on a scheme where people who took out an insurance plan that met the cost of three years' care would be guaranteed free long-term help by government beyond that time, regardless of assets.

Free means-tested longterm care would still be available to those whose assets were too low to pay for long-term care privately.

Mr Howard told an "elderly summit" hosted by the Tories today that the present system penalised people who had saved. "The current system is unfair. It encourages people to run down their assets," he said.