Once again , I know for a fact ( my brother is the senior housing finance manager for a large South London council) that social workers are under instruction to try to 'persuade' relatives to contribute to care home fees even if they know that legally they have no obligation to do so. This persuasion to sell houses for finance goes on all the time, they get away with it because if it came to a legal argument they would just say it was only a 'suggestion' not a demand. They do not like people knowing this and that explains why the social worker 'was not happy' to see you giving the correct information.
My brother admits that this goes on but says that they are told to stop as soon as they come up against someone who actually knows the law.
Then again some people are quite happy to sell up and fund the fees ! even though they legally do not need to.