Many people struggle to meet bills

The Right To Care campaign say 120,000 people living in their own homes or in care homes currently have to pay for personal care.

Supporters argue 61% of these people have an income of less than �200 a week, but face bills over �300 a week.

They want full government funding of long-term personal and nursing care.

How can it be fair that we share the cost of treating cancers, but not that of caring for people with medical problems like dementia? Clare Rayner We had to sell our parents' home

Anyone in England, Wales and Northern Ireland deemed to be in need of nursing care can rely on the NHS to pick up the bill.

But if a person is assessed as needing personal care, such as help with dressing, washing, cooking and eating, they are liable for some or all of the cost if they have more than �12,000 in savings and assets.

Critical reports

A report from the Royal Commission published in September found the rules surrounding payment of care for the elderly were so complicated it was likely that some people were being unfairly treated.

And an earlier Health Service Ombudsman report found evidence that the Department of Health's guidance had been misinterpreted and misapplied by some health authorities and trusts - leading to hardship and injustice for some individuals.

Campaign support Clare Rayner said: "A quarter of us will need long-term care at some time in our lives and thousands of people with low incomes are currently having to pay for it.

"How can it be fair that we share the cost of treating cancers, but not that of caring for people with medical problems like dementia?

"Those who have given a lifetime of service to this country deserve better and society has an obligation to offer them much more support."

Professor Harry Keen, president of the pressure group the NHS Support Federation said: "The arguments which lead the government to support the universal provision of healthcare through the NHS should apply to the care of older and disabled people at least as strongly."

The National Care Homes Association welcomed the campaign.

But Nadra Ahmed, NCHA chairman, said: "We do have serious concerns about the generality of this campaign which says all personal care should be free at the point of delivery and funded from general taxation.

"Does that mean the same pot of money will be raided to pay for free care? If it is, then we say this campaign will, sadly, be doomed to fail because it will simply be a case of spreading what little Government money there is even further."

Government response

A Department of Health spokesperson said: "Older people tell us is that improvements in the quality and choice of care is as important as funding.

"We could spend the additional �1.4bn the government is making available annually for improvements in service delivery on giving people free personal care, but we would buy not a single extra bed, not a single extra service, nor a single break for a family carer.

"Seven out of ten people already get some or all of their personal care costs paid for by the state.

The government believes it is fairer to spend the �1bn cost of providing free personal care - something that will only ever benefit the better off - on improving services for all older people who need them, enabling older people to be more independent and to delay, or even avoid, the need for them to enter residential or nursing home care."