Elderly care fees a ‘postcode lottery’

Vast differences in the cost of long-term care for the elderly have been revealed by research from Saga. Fees vary by almost 50 per cent across the UK and typically cost three times more than the average annual mortgage payment. Northern Ireland is the cheapest region for residential and nursing care, while the Home Counties is the most expensive for nursing care and London the most expensive for residential care. On average someone who requires care in a residential home will pay around £25,000 per annum. In the past decade care home fees have risen faster than inflation.