Anti-dementia tax petition urges PM to end 'catastrophic' care inequality

A petition to stop the ‘enormous injustice' people with dementia face - described as a ‘dementia tax’ - has been launched by the Alzheimer’s Society to force the Government to halt a care cost inequality that sees them pay for social care, while those with other health conditions get NHS care for free.

Financial 'injustice'

The Alzheimer's Society launched its petition calling for an end to the dementia tax on 14 June, in the wake of heightened public awareness of the financial ‘injustice’ facing people with dementia following Theresa May’s election manifesto pledge.

The charity states: 'In the lottery of life, people with dementia are forced to spend hundreds of thousands on care – unlike those with other conditions, such as cancer and diabetes. Regardless of the condition you have, you should have the same access to high quality and affordable care, including for people with dementia.'

'Catastrophic costs of care'

"The election outcome is one that few were expecting" said Robert Burley, a spokesman for Alzheimer's Society.

"The public outcry over the dementia tax during the election campaign was much needed to ensure wider understanding about the injustice people with dementia face. Some say that it even changed the course of the election. "However, the Dementia Tax isn’t new. For too long, the 850,000 people living with dementia in the UK have been struggling to pay the catastrophic costs of their care. That’s because, unlike other diseases, people with dementia don’t get free care on the NHS."

The charity is writing to MPs this week to invite them to meet with the charity's representatives in Westminster and locally.

Headlines against a dementia tax dominated the news in the run up to the general election, in a backlash against the Conservative leader's manifesto pledge.

At present, those needing care with savings and assets (including the value of property) worth less than £23,250 do not pay for their own social care but Theresa May's manifesto promised this wealth threshold would increase to £100,000.

The manifesto pledge stated: ‘No matter how large the cost of care turns out to be, people will always retain at least £100,000 of their savings and assets", however anything above this amount would be taken by the Government after death to pay for social care - including the value of a person's home.

Those in care homes, whose property is means-tested, are already able to defer the cost of their care until after they die, with money claimed after death by the Government from their estate.

National outrage sends 'thundering statement' to politicians

Mr Burley added: "The national outrage over the Dementia Tax shows the power of campaigning. It sends a thundering statement to politicians that dementia care is an issue that can no longer be ignored. Now we must unite to deliver a firm message to this new Westminster Government that dementia must be a priority." So far, 7131 people had signed the petition when it went live on the charity's website on 14 June.

The petition's launch follows The Alzheimer’s Show in London on 9-10 June, where the charity's experts were out in force, including CEO Jeremy Hughes and the charity’s dementia ambassador Angela Rippon.

To sign the petition to end the dementia tax visit: https://e-activist.com/page/7615/data/1