Sir, Gordon Brown’s proposal of a new insurance-based system for care of the elderly is just a devious trick to improve his image (report, May 13). I cannot see how such a scheme will work for the millions who are already retired.

I started work in 1954 and have paid income tax every year since then; I also have 45 years of national insurance contributions. Under new labour pensioners have suffered a declining standard of living as they suffer a variety of charges not covered by the increase in pensions, including council tax, BBC licence and parking fees at hospitals, which we rarely used until getting old. We have also had to go private for dental treatment as our dentist was fed up with the NHS.

My wife and I now belong to one of the fastest-growing employment sectors, namely, OAPs keeping the wolf from the door. However, one unfairness of the system is that we cannot offset against tax any costs of coping with our disabilities.

Barry Crossland
Elland, W Yorks

Sir, Has Gordon Brown looked at the figures? This kind of insurance already exists and is prohibitively expensive. My husband has power of attorney for a spinster aunt, who is 93 and demented. If we manage to sell her home she will have enough capital for about five years in care. We were quoted a premium of £107,000 to cover the £500 a week shortfall in her care fees for life (after taking state pension and attendance allowance into consideration), not taking into account inflation. Heaven only knows what the premium would be for someone in their 70s or 80s.

Taking out this insurance is a huge gamble — she could die next week or live to be 103. Whatever course of action we take, her meagre savings and the value of her modest home will not be spared.

Jud Hoff
London E14

Sir, Like many a septuagenarian, I sit in my wheelchair balefully contemplating the perils of old age. I would happily pay tomorrow an insurance premium of £15,000 to the Treasury or my local authority against the future cost of home or institutional care when I am less able (“Spare a few quid for the rich old folk?”, Comment, May 14).

Add to this a competent local authority advisory and inspection service akin to the work of a local health visitor for children to prevent my going unwashed, unfed and unrobed into that dark night and I can face the future with something like equanimity.

Alec MacGuire
Wallington, Surrey

Sir, Is this the same Gordon Brown proposing insurance based elderly care who introduced a tax on insurance premiums a few years ago?

Richard Simons
East Grinstead, W Sussex

Sir, One of the real problems in the debate about the elderly being forced to sell their homes to pay for care is that the families of elderly parents desire the inheritance that will eventually come to them but do not want the current responsibility of providing home care.

Mike Jones
Lancaster

Sir, If society is unwilling or unable to meet the cost of care of the elderly, one may reasonably expect it to allow those elderly people who so wish to be assisted to die.

Leslie Gilbert
London N2

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