Winter fuel/Dementia tax

Winter Fuel Payments: 
The Conservative manifesto also includes a commitment to means test the Winter Fuel Payment which, if linked to Pension Credit, could remove the support to heat homes from ten million pensioners. 
But analysis by the Labour Party has found that even this could be an underestimate, as 40 percent of those eligible do not claim Pension Credit. This would leave a further 800,000 older people without support to heat their homes, bringing the total number losing out to 10,800,000. 
Resolution Foundation analysis of Conservative plans to means test the Winter Fuel Payment:  DWP estimates of benefit take up, showing 40 percent of those eligible for Pension Credit do not claim: 
Dementia Tax: A 75 year-old owner occupier with savings of £20,000, whose home is worth the UK average house price of £217,500 facing home care costs of £100,000. Under the current system: subject to income, would pay nothing towards their care costs.
At a cap of £72,000: would pay £72,000 – would use all their savings and have a 24 percent charge (£52,000) set against the value of their homeAt a cap of £100,000: would pay £100,000, the full cost of care
AVERAGE CARE COSTS: Analysis for the Dilnot Commission in 2010 found that 45 percent of 65 year olds could expect to spend (or have spent on them) more than £25,000 on care services, and 10 percent could expect to spend more than £100,000. Source: Dilnot Commission Report Vol 2: Evidence and Analysis 
AVERAGE WEALTH OF OLDER PEOPLE: 34 percent of older people aged 70-79 have non-housing assets below £23,250 but assets including houses above £100,000. Source: IFS, based on English Longitudinal Study of Ageing, wave 7  HOUSE PRICES: Average House Price (Feb 2017) in the UK is £217,502 Source: Land Registry .
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