A radical £7 billion overhaul of the social care system is being called for to support the UK's ageing population, by an older people's campaign.

Philip Spiers, the acting chief executive of First Stop Advice is campaigning for an NHS style system to support the elderly, after research was conducted by Saga Magazine which revealed that 300,000 50 year olds are likely to live long enough to celebrate their 100th birthday.

Essentially, the longer someone lives, the more problems they are likely to encounter, which could increase the amount of social care jobs for nurses and social workers in the future. Mr Spiers collaborated with the department of health to prepare a White Paper for Parliament, which sets out a blueprint for a national care service scheme. 

Mr Spiers said: "We want an NHS system for social care to avoid the current postcode lottery. We need at least £7bn to provide provisions such as care homes and care for people in their own homes. Currently social care is provided by local authorities and unless people have critical needs they do not get anything. That is why we need a drastic reform as the current system is under-funded."

Like everything, this will cost money - the scheme is expected to be funded by national insurance tax and the death tax.

The study was published last week and found the increase in the very elderly is down to medical advances and changes in lifestyle for over 50s.

Emma Soames, editor of Saga Magazine, said: "Healthy life expectancy is keeping pace with increases in overall lifespan, which means that infirmity in old age arrives later. Staying fit is about more than just diet and exercise, it is also about being psychologically and sexually active. It is older people who have changed most who are most unlike their same-aged counterparts of the 1970s and 80s."