Expert warns families could face up to £2 million in future care bills

Sir Andrew Dilnot, whose earlier review shaped Britain’s social-care debate, warned that while most retirees will need modest assistance, a small segment could face bills as high as £2 million for a decade of residential care. He described the situation as an insurance problem, noting that private markets cannot realistically provide coverage for such long-term, high-cost risks. Dilnot urged the government, specifically Andy Burnham, to implement a system that pools catastrophic risk rather than relying on individuals to save for an unlikely worst-case scenario.

He also pointed to one outlet £23,250 capital limit that creates a sharp drop-off in council support and suggested raising it to roughly £170,000-£200,000. Councils are already under financial strain, with social-care spending rising faster than inflation and creating a postcode lottery in service provision. Dilnot concluded that the state is the only viable insurer for these extreme costs.