By 2030 there will be twice as many people aged 85 and older compared to 2010. While the fact that we are living longer is good news, this will inevitably put increasing pressure on a social care system already under severe strain: at present there are around 1.2 million older people in England living with an unmet care need.

The social care green paper is an important opportunity not to be wasted. It must not only address the funding crisis, but also ensure that no care need is left unmet. It also needs to be really clear what the responsibility of the state is and what is down to the individual. Our seven tests are designed to assess whether the green paper can truly be successful.