Should patients control the NHS purse strings?

Direct social care payments for disabled adults, the elderly and carers of disabled children were introduced in the UK in 1996. But now an expert in healthcare policy at the US Department of Health and Human Services believes that this scheme should be extended to those with long term, chronic conditions.

More Competitions

Win a 3 night break in the Peak District

 The Maynard is the first Boutique Hotel in The Peak District - with the decor and furnishings matching the hotel’s amazing Peak District views.  And you have the opportunity to be amongst the first to get the opportunity to book in.

Free for all readers – the Mature Times Guide to Equity release

 If you are contemplating releasing equity tied up in your home, you will want to have some very important questions answered first. A new guide has just been produced by Mature Times which provides an independent overview - and copies of the new guide are available FREE to all our readers.

Our silent shame over Gurkha war veterans

"The ignominy of forcing these veterans to beg for the right to live in the UK is a stain on the moral integrity of our nation. If the next generation forgets the debt we owe these people then the country is morally bankrupt."

Woman losing her fight for sight as Kingston says "no" to sight saving treatment

Mary White, from Surbiton, Surrey, faces an agonising race against time to save her sight, following a refusal by Kingston Primary Care Trust to pay for vital treatment that could stop her from going blind.

Elderly sisters lose European appeal against inheritance tax liability

  Two elderly unmarried sisters who appealed against a ruling by the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) that they should be liable for inheritance tax when the first of them dies have lost their appeal. "This is a day we hoped that we, as British citizens, would never see," they said.

Win a copy of 'Cliff Richard - The Bachelor Boy'

 Cliff Richard has been Britain's longest surviving and most consistent hit music maker, and 2008 marks the 50th anniversary of his entry into showbusiness, his first single and his first British tour.

Win a copy of 'Digital Photography Masterclass'

 Develop your photographic eye, improve your skills and learn how to digitally enhance and manipulate your pictures with Digital Photography Masterclass - the new title from Tom Ang.  This practical guide from the renowned author and digital photographer will take you through the processes with step by step tutorials, examples and stunning imagery.

"Help us create a manifesto for change"

Counsel and Care, the national charity getting the best care and support for older people, their families and carers, has launched a new campaign to produce a national manifesto for older people for the next General Election.

Don’t just read the news – get paid for making it!

 Ever wondered who answers all the questions that go into the opinion polls you read about every day? In fact it’s people just like you. Whether it’s finding out what TV programmes you watch, what you think of the latest Budget or where you go to buy your shopping, opinion pollsters need your input – and they’re actually prepared to pay for it.

Expats should check their investments – or face “a ruinous future”

Thousands of Europe’s UK expat investors/PEP and ISA holders could be facing a ruinous future by not bothering to review their portfolios during the current climate of market volatility and currency decline, warns online investment funds analyst Moneyspider.com.

Selling your home in a difficult market

 In a tough market, home sellers across the UK are struggling to sell their homes. So if you're looking for ways to seal the sale, here are some handy tips.

Leeds launches its own website for older people

  A new specialist website for older people in Leeds - The Infostore - has been launched.

Blue badge cheats get fined - and a criminal record warning

Recent editions of the Mature Times have carried considerable correspondence from readers about blue badges - as well as about those who routinely misuse disabled parking spaces. So it should come as good news to know that people who abuse the disabled badge parking system are now facing heavy fines and  possibly a criminal record following three successful prosecutions by Lambeth Council for blue badge fraud.

Oh, the injustice of it all!

Of all the things that irk, injustice rankles most of all. Our sense of what's fair and unfair cuts in at an early age and it stays with you throughout life when you see dishonest people prosper or decent people cut down by illness.