Pictured above: Sofia Tayton

The Government's move to freeze the threshold for social care help has been criticised by a Stratford-upon-Avon lawyer who specialises in advising the elderly.

Social care is means-tested in England, meaning people with assets over £23,250 pay for home help or residential care. The threshold normally rises each year, but will now be frozen for two years to help councils hard hit by cuts in their budgets.

Sofia Tayton, an associate in the private client department at Lodders Solicitors, cautioned: "Penalising some of the most vulnerable people in society does not seem a sensible way to save money.

"Sadly, it highlights once again that care for the elderly is at the bottom of everyone's 'list'."

For residential care, the limit reflects both savings and the value of their house and has prompted cases of people being forced to sell the family homes to pay for care home fees. For home help, such as washing and dressing, the value of a house is not taken into account.

Mrs Tayton said: "The move comes after a decade in which councils have been raising the criteria they use when assessing whether someone needs help and against a background where local government funding from central government is being cut by more than a quarter over the next four years.

"It will lead to elderly people paying for social care for longer until state help kicks in and that is to be regretted.

"However, not all cases are the same, and opportunities do exist to challenge the system. So it is well worth consulting a lawyer who has experience of the bureaucracy and can fight for your interests."

The Government has set up an independent commission to look into social care funding amid mounting consensus of the need for reform.

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