Boris Johnson today insisted he will being forward 'good plans' on social care as it emerged a 'do or die' meeting with Rishi Sunak and Matt Hancock has been postponed.
The PM reiterated his vow to 'fix' the crisis in the system as he faces anger from campaigners who are still waiting for any indication of a strategy from the government.
Asked about the crucial issue during a visit to a laboratory in Hertfordshire, he told reporters: 'We are pledged to fix it and we must fix it for our country and for our society.
'Social care workers have borne the brunt of the pandemic and we have got to improve it, and we will. We will be bringing forward some good plans in due course.'
But there is dismay that progress seems to have stalled again, amid wrangling between the PM and Chancellor over fears costs could hit £10billion a year.
A meeting between the pair and Mr Hancock tomorrow, planned for at least a week, is understood been 'taken out' of ministerial diaries for reasons that remain unclear. No10 sources suggested the importance of the session had been overblown.
Mr Johnson first promised to push through social care reforms when he entered Downing Street two years ago, but details have not been forthcoming, with claims ministers want agreement across parties.
Former health secretary Jeremy Hunt today urged Mr Johnson to put aside Treasury concerns and find the billions needed to fund a cap on care costs.
The urgency of the situation was underlined last night as shock new figures showed that thousands of desperate families are being lumbered with crippling average bills of £35,000 a year.
The average fee for a residential home in 2019/20 stood at £672 a week – a rise of 3 per cent on the year before and 29 per cent higher than in 2011/12.
The huge costs leave dementia sufferers with far less to hand on to their children and often require the sale of the family home.
Mr Johnson is said to be in favour of a lifetime cap on the cost of care of £50,000, as proposed by economist Sir Andrew Dilnot a decade ago.
The average length of stay in residential care is two years, meaning a cap set at this level would help thousands of people.
But the Chancellor is concerned about the costs - which could end up approaching £10billion a year. He has also said Tory governments should not do anything which could force an increase in personal taxation.
Before the meeting was delayed, Mr Hunt wrote in the Mail that it was a 'do-or-die moment for social care'. 'Rather than put our heads in the sand and hope the problem goes away, it is time to grasp the nettle. Come on Boris!' he said.
Figures compiled by business analysts LaingBuisson and published by Which? show that in the decade since Sir Andrew brought forward his idea for a cap, care costs have soared.
Fees for nursing homes – for people who need round-the-clock medical care – are now £937 a week or £48,724 a year. This is an increase of 5 per cent in just one year and 33 per cent in eight years.
The figures, which cover the amount paid both by local councils and those who fund their own care, mask the fact that self-funders pay even more than this.
LaingBuisson said self-funders are typically charged 30 per cent more than councils – meaning the average annual cost of a residential care home place will actually be much more than £35,000. And the figures hide a desperate postcode lottery, with families in London and the South East having to pay significantly more.
Gavin Terry, of Alzheimer's Society, said: 'The pandemic laid bare the dire state of social care and the Government must now act. We must ensure families being bankrupted by care fees and woefully inadequate care provision are a thing of the past.'
Caroline Abrahams, of Age UK, added: 'Despite the efforts of the good people who work in social care, it's impossible to escape the conclusion that social care in England has become a miserable embarrassment.'
A spokesman for the Department of Health and Social Care said: 'Ensuring we have a care system that is fit for the future remains a top priority and we will bring forward
