[Luckypants]

Its a decent argument that I agree with broadly. I don't see what the monetary value of your home has to do with ability to pay. Ask any poor pensioner still living in the family home they brought the family up in, now trying to pay council tax on it because they are deemed 'wealthy'. The caveat I would place on this is that if someone with a valuable home needs to pay for care, taking a 'Lifetime mortgage' on the property will easily pay the care cost of £80000 and leave a lot left for a bequest or providing further income. The 'poor person' whose home is worth much less will lose all the value they have in their home, leaving nothing to bequeath or gain an income. Of course, those able to will pass property along to their heirs long before it will be used in calculations for 'wealth', so it will be the 'poor people' who pay for care and not the wealthy.

I do see this as another way for their rich chums to benefit and the rest of us to pay for it.