Taxpayers could be hit with another hike to fund social care, Downing Street hints
Downing Street warned Wednesday that taxpayers would face another tax increase to pay for social care.
In an attempt to address the nation’s dysfunctional care system, a representative for Sir Keir Starmer declined to rule out enacting a new tax increase this parliament.
No10 stated that the task of identifying the components of a sustainable finance model for older British citizens would fall to the PM’s recently established Commission on Social Care, which is chaired by Baroness Louise Casey.
It happened as Sir Keir was cautioned that a three-year government-ordered investigation into the industry is too drawn out.
The creator of the Dilnot reforms, Sir Andrew Dilnot, criticized Labour on Wednesday for delaying the new Commission’s proposals until 2028, one year before the next general election.
“I would definitely like to see the Commission report earlier, and I sincerely hope that it will,” Mr. Dilnot said to the Commons Health and Social Care committee.
Louise Casey doesn’t seem like the type of person who likes to hang around.
I just cannot come up with a rationale why it should take three years.
According to Sir Andrew, the PM should think about raising taxes once more in order to finance reform proposals that should be presented within the first half of this parliament.
The leading economist criticized both current and former government officials for lacking the guts to take action.
Kathryn Smith, the CEO of the Social Care Institute for Excellence, said that the matter has devolved into a quagmire, with countless investigations and commissions yielding no results.
According to Sir Andrew, it is clear that in a wealthy country, care should be adequately supported. The PM is now in charge of resolving the matter once and for all.
He went on to say: “I believe Sir Keir’s opinions will be crucial in this, and if the Prime Minister supports it, then I believe something will happen.”
I am therefore hopeful. I’m always evasive when it comes to deadlines, but we have to finish this because we can’t look in the mirror and ignore it.
Age UK estimates that 2.6 million adults over 50 in England have experienced barriers to care.
Rachel Reeves received criticism for abandoning former Tory leader Boris Johnson’s ideas to cap the amount of money that an individual in England would have to spend on personal care over the course of their lifetime in the October Budget last year.
Sir Andrew denounced the decision as tragic, despite the Chancellor’s insistence that the measures were not achievable.
Note: Every piece of content is rigorously reviewed by our team of experienced writers and editors to ensure its accuracy. Our writers use credible sources and adhere to strict fact-checking protocols to verify all claims and data before publication. If an error is identified, we promptly correct it and strive for transparency in all updates, feel free to reach out to us via email. We appreciate your trust and support!