Boris Johnson has been forced to put off announcing his social care reforms until the autumn after he failed to reach agreement with leading ministers.
He was understood be considering a 1p-in-the-pound increase in National Insurance (NI) contributions to fund his long-awaited plans.
But critics said such a plan would hit the low-paid and would spare even well-off pensioners – including those still working – from having to contribute anything to the cost of the new care system.
The plans are understood to include measures to integrate the NHS better with the local-authority-run social care system, to ensure elderly people are properly cared for. There will also be reforms to ensure better training.
It had been hoped that Mr Johnson would be able to bring forward his proposals – first promised almost two years ago – this week, before Parliament rises for its summer recess.
Boris Johnson has been forced to put off announcing his social care reforms until the autumn after he failed to reach agreement with leading ministers
But the Prime Minister has been forced to isolate along with the Chancellor after Health Secretary Sajid Javid tested positive for Covid, meaning neither could unveil the reforms in the Commons.
It means the proposals will not be published until September at the earliest, leaving families facing sky-high care bills. Caroline Abrahams, charity director at Age UK, said the delay was deeply disappointing. ‘Every day the Government delays acting on social care, the more older and disabled people suffer, and the more pressure is diverted onto the NHS,’ she added.
‘We are also conscious that the experts are telling us to expect a difficult autumn and winter, due to Covid-19 and its variants, and because other respiratory viruses may become more prominent.
‘As a result, there’s a risk social care gets forgotten and that would not only breach the PM’s promise, it would be a tragedy for our older population too.’
The Prime Minister’s official spokesman said: ‘The process for agreeing our proposals is still ongoing. We will set that out before the end of the year.’
Earlier, business minister Paul Scully said he did not recognise reports that NI could increase, telling Sky News: ‘What we do want to happen is to make sure that we can come up with a comprehensive programme to tackle social care. It’s been around for a long time this issue, and we do need to get to grips with it, and that’s what the PM and the Health Secretary are determined to do.’
Labour economic spokesman Pat McFadden said paying for social care must be fair to all income groups and all ages. He told Sky: ‘There’s been a social care problem in the country for many, many years. We know we’ve got to fix it, the Covid pandemic has shown us the problems in the system, and we understand that’s got to be paid for.’
Paul Johnson, head of the Institute for Fiscal Studies, said: ‘Funding social care just from National Insurance would be very inequitable.
‘It would be a continuation of a long-term policy of hitting those of working age while protecting pensioners from contributing. It’s a question of fairness.’
A social care tax raid won't work and will divide Britain. But there IS another way
Commentary by Alex Brummer for the Daily Mail
My late mother’s cousin Marguerite never married. Her working life was spent at a confectionery firm — much to our delight as children who benefited from the treats she shared — and in building up a nest-egg for her golden years.
She was robust and mentally alert to the end. But during the final months of her life she was denied access to family visitors by the pandemic — although the virus killed her anyway, entering the care home by an unknown route.
Her death during the lockdown was deeply painful for my brother and me, her closest living relatives. Not only because of the circumstances of her death, but because her last wishes were denied her.
Failings
Her savings, largely from selling the flat she had bought, were almost exhausted.
The small legacies for family and friends that she had outlined in her will were expunged by care-home costs.
My late mother’s cousin Marguerite's death illustrates how carelessly the lives of people in social care have been treated, especially in the early months of the pandemic and how millions of people are penalised by the social care system (file photo)
Indeed, there was just enough left to pay for her burial, a plot alongside her twin sister and a memorial stone in honour of a life dedicated to work and those she loved.
Marguerite’s death highlights two great failings of Britain’s so-called ‘cradle to grave’ system of social welfare.
It illustrates how carelessly the lives of people in social care have been treated, especially in the early months of the pandemic. Hospital
