Why do today’s offspring think it a basic human right to get their parents’ house when the parents die? Instead, then, I’d like to take Mr Burnham at his word, at least, on his principled reasons for wanting a free-at-the-point-of-use entitlement to social care. So why the caterwauling about a ‘dementia tax’ let alone a ‘death tax’? Our fellow citizens should be disabused of the idea that everything they’ve put away can be protected against debt they may later incur for social care. Debt they incur for social care should be no different from any other debt they incur – and set against their estate.