Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt has defended his party's plans to curb the rising cost of social care. The policy, due to be formally announced in their manifesto launch later today, will promise no-one will have to sell their property in their lifetime to fund residential or home care.

Instead, the cost of care will be taken from their estate - if it is worth at least £100,000 - when they die. Mr Hunt said this was "not a death tax" because it "wasn't a tax".

(Image: Jeremy Hunt, credit: Getty Images)