What is really going on in politics? Get our daily email briefing straight to your inbox Sign up Thank you for subscribing We have more newsletters Show me See our privacy notice Invalid Email

Not that I’m biased, but my grandma is objectively the coolest pensioner in the world.

She chomps raw chillis at dinner, knocks back Scotch and makes jokes so bawdy it would make a sailor blush.

But watching her get older and frailer, despite her enduring mischief, has been terrifying. The social safety net for old people in this country is gossamer thin, stretched to breaking point, and getting worse.

My mum, herself in her 60s and in full-time work, is one of the 7.6 million Brits providing unpaid care for a relative. Mum’s one of the lucky ones – more than a million unpaid carers themselves have a long-term illness or disability.

She also has enough room in her house for my grandma to live with her, as well as a husband and an exceptionally charming daughter on hand to pitch in.

But juggling a job and care commitments is tough. And, like around 95% of unpaid carers, our family does it without any support from the council.

As it stands, people have to pay for their own elderly care if their capital and income exceeds £23,350, including the value of their home.

One in 10 pays more than £100,000 – which means, realistically, the struggling social care system is kept afloat on the backs of old people’s family members.

And if it’s hard for my parents’ generation to look after ageing relatives, it’s going to be near impossible for mine. Ten years ago, home ownership for my age group was at 65%.

(Image: Getty)

Now it’s 27%, with those living in London or from low and middle income backgrounds worst affected.

The cost of living is soaring, and so is unsecured debt. Young people aged 25 to 34 hold five times as much debt as borrowers over 55, and we’re three times more worried about how to pay it back.

My generation is broke and getting broker, while our parents are living longer.

Without savings or a house, many of us are anxious about how we’re going to look after the people who looked after us. The Tories have cut social care services by an average of 9% per person since 2010.

And Boris Johnson’s government has made no new proposals for elderly social care, despite promising a bold domestic policy agenda.

It’s not right for people who have spent decades paying into the system to be abandoned by it when they need it most.

Only Labour’s promise to fund free personal care for over-65s through general taxation has come anywhere near addressing the issues posed by an ageing population.

Securing the youth vote isn’t just about splashy promises for the young. It’s about demonstrating care for the elderly relatives we love dearly.