Government to unveil care system plans

LONDON (Reuters) - The government will unveil details of plans to overhaul care services for the elderly on Tuesday saying the current system is a "cruel lottery."

Ministers say existing services are facing huge pressures with more people living longer and looking for better quality and choice of care.

Critics say the current system of means testing means many elderly people have to sell their homes or use savings to pay for care.

Among the proposals being put forward include plans to ask older people to take out insurance to pay for services, according to media reports.

"The care system today I would say is an unreformed part of our public sector. It's a cruel lottery," Health Secretary Andy Burnham told BBC radio.

He said on average, people paid 30,000 pounds for care. However about 20 percent paid more then 50,000 pounds and those who developed serious conditions like Alzheimers could pay more than 200,000 pounds.

The proposals in the Green Paper called "Shaping the Future of Care Together" would involve creating a national care service which would give all citizens a basic entitlement and contribution to their care.

"The rest of the cost would have to be met by the individual and there are different ways for doing that and we are putting forward those options today," Burnham said.

"All of them will involve difficult choices. I don't think the politicians would be serving the public if we didn't raise this debate now."