We’re still looking at the details of the plans but what is pretty clear is we have a manifesto-breaking tax rise on national insurance, which will mean care workers, nurses, midwives, paramedics paying more in tax for a cap in care costs which will not fix any of the longstanding problems in social care.
And indeed when the prime minister says this will mean nobody pays more than £80,000-odd, unless he resolves the discrepancy between what a local authority funds for social care and what you fund as an individual, you could well find that individuals are paying way more than 86,000 because the notional cap is based on what the local authority is prepared to fund. So that is not capping care, I’m afraid that is a care con.
Of course, these are for personal care costs. If you sadly need to move into a nursing home, you still have to pay for the hotel costs, the board and lodging as well, which will also in some circumstances be catastrophic for you individually.
When Boris Johnson stands up in the House of Commons and says he is dealing with these huge costs and nobody will have to give up their homes, I’m afraid he is not being straight with the British public.
