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Ministers have been accused of "cynical delaying tactics" over the social care crisis after a major campaign hit 10,000 signatures. Silver Voices, the UK-wide organisation supporting over-60s, has forced the Government to respond to claims that it reneged on its manifesto promise to establisha National Care Service.

The campaign says Labour is using a new commission as a "deliberate and cynical delaying tactic" to avoid taking decisions needed to resolve the social care crisis for another decade. It warns that the move ensures no reforms will be considered until after the next General Election - and is a waste of taxpayers' money.

Silver Voices has written to all its members, urging them to raise the issue with party canvassers on the doorstep ahead of the local elections on May 7. The campaign warns that the social care crisis is affecting millions of older people throughout the UK on a daily basis, who are not getting the help they need.

It says costs are bankrupting local authorities, and over a tenth of hospital beds are always filled by older people who could go home if only social care support were available. The group also warns there are major implications for Scotland and Wales, which face elections next month, as no extra funding for social care in those countries will be available until at least 2030-31 if there is no reform to the general taxation system.

Dennis Reed, Director of Silver Voices, said: "Labour cannot escape responsibility for its abject failure to tackle the social care crisis, which is forcing millions of older people to spend their twilight years in discomfort and indignity."

He added: "Labour promised to set up a national care service to resolve the crisis, but it had not even bothered in nearly two years of Government to define what that means."

Mr Reed said: "We were led to believe that a national care service would be a well-resourced national body on a par with the NHS, but it seems all they have in mind is a national set of targets and performance indicators imposed on the existing failing system."

He added: "Older people are not conned by Labour's cynical delaying tactics as support for our petition shows."

A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson dismissed the claims as "not true", saying the Government inherited "a social care system in desperate need of reform".

The spokesperson said that they were delivering a National Care Service and said: "We are already taking action - with over £4.6 billion extra for adult social care by 2028-29, a new fair pay agreement for care workers, and higher carers' allowance thresholds."

They added: "The Prime Minister appointed Baroness Casey to lead an independent commission and secure cross-party consensus on this vital issue. We've accepted three immediate recommendations from Baroness Casey, and further will follow later this year as we continue building a National Care Service."