Yahoo News Theresa May announces 'dementia tax' U-turn
Theresa May has announced a dramatic U-turn on the Conservative's controversial plans for social care labelled by critics as a "dementia tax".
The Prime Minister's plans for social care reform which will see pensioners asked to contribute more to the cost of their care will now include a cap on total contributions.
The policy will still offer protection for people with assets of £100,000 or less - a sharp increase on the current £23,250 threshold.
Speaking at a campaign event in Wrexham she said: "Since my manifesto was published the proposals have been subject to fake claims made by Jeremy Corbyn.
I understand PM will say Green Paper on social care will now include a cap on total contributions as well as the £100k capital floor
— Faisal Islam (@faisalislam) May 22, 2017
"The only things he has left to offer in this campaign are fake claims, fear and scaremongering.
"I want to make a further point clear. This manifesto says that we will come forward with a consultation paper, a government green paper and that consultation will include an absolute limit on the amount people have to pay for their care costs.
"So let me reiterate: We are proposing the right funding model for social care. We will make sure nobody has to sell their family home to pay for care. We will make sure there is an absolute limit on what people need to pay. You will never have to go below £100,000 of your savings so you will always have something to pass on to your family."
It comes after Boris Johnson suggested the controversial plans to force pensioners to contribute to the costs of their care could be watered down.
The reforms, unveiled in the Conservative party manifesto last Thursday, mean more pensioners will have to contribute to the cost of their care, although they will not have to pay during their lifetime.
They have been criticised as a “dementia tax” because sufferers of the disease living at home will have to pay while people with cancer in hospital would not.
Jeremy Hunt, the Health Secretary, told the London Evening Standard on Monday: “We want to make sure that people who have worked hard and saved up all their lifetimes, do not have to worry about losing all their assets through a disease as random as dementia.
“That’s why we want to introduce and absolute limit on the amount of money anyone has to pay for their care.”
Surveys published on Saturday found a majority of voters were against the policy.
A study by YouGov carried out after the policy was unveiled found that four in 10 of voters oppose the measure, against 35 per cent in favour.
