Health Secretary urges Theresa May to ditch plans for 'universal' £100,000 cap on social care costs
Matt Hancock has warned the PM that a potential £100,000 ceiling would cost more than £3billion alone in 2032-2033 given Britain’s ageing population.
He insists if the option is pursued by No.10 they should raise taxes to pay for it rather than dump the bill on the NHS.
The intervention came earlier this week as Ministers continue to thrash out proposals in long-delayed Social Care green paper.
A Cabinet source told The Sun: “Matt is saying he remains concerned about including a universal cap on costs as an option.
“And he’s quite clear that if they go ahead with it he wants them to raise taxes to fund it.”
Another insider said: “He’s weighing up the pros and cons and is just concerned that a universal cap could be going too far.”
The explosive issue of social care has dogged Theresa May ever since her disastrous 2017 Election campaign.
She scrapped David Cameron’s pledge to cap costs at £72,000 as part of a broader package of reforms.
But these were immediately branded a “Dementia Tax” and she was forced into a humiliating retreat.
At the time she promised to set an “absolute limit” in a future consultation on social care.
Originally due last summer, the policy proposals have repeatedly been pushed back and may now not be published until after Brexit. It is understood that the idea of a £100,000 cap is one of a number of “potential limits” being considered as part of the new review.
The Institute of Fiscal Studies last year warned that social care funding would need to rise by nearly 4 per cent a year to meet the needs of an ageing population.
It added that social care could account for half of all taxes raised by councils in 2035.
A Department for Health said: “We are determined to make adult social care sustainable for the future and will publish our proposals shortly in a green paper.”
- GOT a story? RING The Sun on 0207 782 4104 or WHATSAPP on 07423720250 or EMAIL [email protected]
Source: Read Full Article