TOP councillors in Swindon want to see something done about the way social care for adults is funded.

And they think a special tax on those over 40 could be one solution.

The Guardian reported that health secretary Matt Hancock was considering such a tax to pay for the costs of looking after elderly people.

It says Mr Hancock “is a keen advocate of the plan” and that he has been championing it in discussions with officials.

The report quotes unnamed health and social care civil servants saying there is a “renewed urgency” in Downing Street to come up with a solution.

It says there are two options. One is a German model where 1.5 per cent of every person’s salary, and a further 1.5 per cent from employers or pension funds, are ringfenced to pay for care in later life.

The the other is used in Japan, where people over 40 pay extra. This goes into a pool just used for care costs.

A Whitehall source is quoted in the Guardian said: “As we come out of the Covid-19 pandemic some of the issues that were put on pause during it – like obesity and social care – have come back on stream.

"The social care problem has been around for ages and there is a renewed focus now on getting it fixed.”

In Britain the costs of care are means tested, with local authorities paying for places in care homes or for visits from care workers and adaptations to the homes of people who are eligible.

Those costs are growing, with the price of adult care and children’s services – excluding schools – counting for 80 per cent of Swindon’s £140m budget last year.

Cabinet member for adults and health Brian Ford said: “The social care crisis has been rumbling on for decades and will continue to do so unless radical thinking results in a solution.

“The Covid-19 pandemic has both highlighted and magnified the issues with social care and it is imperative that the government sorts it out once and for all.

"Our current system has been shown to be outdated and underfunded and this will only worsen as demand increases.”

Despite the prime minister’s official spokesman saying the extra tax on the over 40s wasn’t favoured by the government, Coun Ford said it could work as long as the money was ringfenced.

He said: “I believe that most people will accept the tax as long as there is a solid guarantee that it will only be spent on social care and that they will not also be forced to sell their homes to pay for the care they need later in life.”