[Osem]

There's a huge problem coming up because at the moment the bank of mum and dad is increasingly helping their adult offspring to get on the housing ladder and I doubt very much that this current generation of beneficiaries will be in the same position when it's their turn. If that's the case we're going to increasingly find that the number of older people with assets is to pay for all the social care they need is going to reduce. That'll mean everyone will have to make up the difference via taxation.

I think we all need to accept that social care has to be paid for and is creating massive extra costs for and pressures on the NHS which it can well do without so any investment in it will be money well spent IMHO. I see no reason why this shouldn't be paid for out of extra income tax or indeed out of something a tad more imaginative like a lottery which I'm sure a lot of people would find a very worthy cause indeed, even if they choose not to support the current lottery.