Cost has long been a preoccupation in policy documents concerned with the care and support of older people (Means and Smith, 1998; Royal Commission, 1999). A history of moral panic about the ageing population coupled with a stereotype of older people as a dependent and ‘unproductive’ sector of society have combined to produce negatively focused debate, lacking in evidential support. Most recently, Wanless (2006) has highlighted the limitations of the evidence base and the narrowness of debate concerning the provision of social care services, arguing both for more informed debate and for consideration of the impact of developments in services and alternative funding models.