A group of more than 60 government advisors, charity directors and independent experts have signed a letter to yesterday’ Daily Telegraph demanding radical reform to care and home help services. They urged the government to build a cross party consensus and to seize the opportunity presented by the forthcoming social care white paper to deliver a care system fit for the future.

There’s no doubt that the funding of adult social care is one of the most pressing political issues of our time. Life expectancy in the developed world rises by about two years every decade (equivalent to your death receding by about five hours every day). As we live longer, more and more of us will spend longer periods of our old age needing significant amounts of care. Last summer, the Dilnot commission found that people were frightened of this prospect because they did not know what costs they would face.