David Ruffley MP said: 'These new changes reflect the growing need to support our aging population.

The new measures will mean that:

Nobody will have to sell their home in their lifetime to pay for social care

£200 million will be invested to create specialised housing for the elderly

Patients will be given access to personal health budgets to improve choice and entitlements to care

More care workers will be trained to ensure many more elderly people are treated with care and dignity.

Although deferred payments for social care are available in some parts of the country, recent figures show that this only applies to 0.9% of those paying for social care in Suffolk. From 2015, everybody will be able defer the costs of their residential care.

Because of these changes, nobody in my constituency should be forced to sell their home to pay for social care during their lifetime.

'This is the biggest overhaul of the social care system in more than 60 years and it will make a huge difference to older people here in Suffolk.'