More than four out of five older people will not benefit from the Government's social care cap, a charity has warned.

Age UK has criticised the Government for proposing a change to how the progress towards the cap is calculated, warning it would disproportionately affect those who are less well off.

Analysis by the charity reveals older people who have higher incomes or live in richer parts of the UK are more likely to benefit from the cap than poorer older people.

The analysis shows a wealthier older person needing care could reach the £86k cap in just a couple of years, compared to someone with fewer assets who could pay fees for a decade longer.

The charity said poorer older people are likely never to reach the cap at all.

Caroline Abrahams, charity director at Age UK, said: “It really is extraordinary that the Government wants to make a change to its own social care cap scheme which will take it beyond the reach of most older people with low or modest amounts of income and wealth, while leaving the situation of the better off, in leafier parts of the country, more or less intact.

This is patently unfair, regressive and counter to the Government’s "levelling up agenda".'

Age UK is calling on Peers to vote against the proposed change.

A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: 'For the first time in history we are stopping people having to pay unlimited quantities for their care.

'Compared to the current system more people will be supported with their social care costs, have greater certainty over what they need to pay and receive higher quality care.'