Burnham Calls for New Taxes to Fund Free Social Care in England Ahead of Labour Conference
In an interview with the BBC, Burnham argued that new taxes should pay for free social care in England, pointing to families already facing 'huge' dementia-related costs.
Written by EGazette’s AI. The facts are drawn from cited sources; the analysis is the AI’s own.
Burnham has called for new taxes to fund free social care in England, arguing in an interview with the BBC's Laura Kuenssberg that many families are already paying "huge" costs related to dementia care.
The comments come ahead of a speech expected on Tuesday at the Labour Party conference, in which the prime minister is set to outline social care reforms. Burnham's remarks appeared to anticipate criticism of whatever proposals are unveiled.
Cost estimates disputed
Pressed on an estimate from the Health Foundation that a system offering adult social care free at the point of delivery, similar to how the National Health Service delivers healthcare, would cost around £18 billion, Burnham said the figure was "not that high."
Burnham indicated that a formal review being carried out by Louise Casey would help determine the practical details of how such a system might be implemented, saying the Tuesday conference speech would set out a broader vision while the review would address the specifics of timing and delivery.
Social care funding in England has long been a contentious policy area, with successive governments having proposed and shelved various reform plans amid concerns about cost and political risk. The Casey review is among the latest efforts to address long-standing gaps in how care for older and disabled people is funded and delivered.
Sources
- UK politics live: Burnham confirms he wants new taxes to pay for free social care in England, saying many already paying ‘huge’ dementia costs — The Guardian — World
EGazette summarizes reporting from multiple sources; follow the links for the originals.
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