Rishi Sunak accused of trying to kill off care cap with two-year delay

Rishi Sunak is believed to have suggested an 'indefinite' delay to a cap on personal care costs promised by Boris Johnson’s government, but 'accepted an initial postponement of two years’ after being warned scrapping it would be damaging politically.

From October 2023, the government planned to introduce a new £86,000 cap on the amount anyone in England has to spend on their personal care over their lifetime, but the policy is now according to the Times, being pushed back to 2025.

Chancellor Jeremy Hunt is expected to announce new tax rises and spending cuts worth around £55 billion on 17 November.

If the care cap was scrapped it would save £1 billion in the first year alone for a Prime Minister and Chancellor Jeremy Hunt who are looking to plug a £55 billion gap in the public finances.

'Kicking it into the long grass, probably to disappear'

Caroline Abrahams of Age UK, said: “It’s really sad that Boris Johnson’s grandiose pledge to ‘fix social care’ eventually fizzled out into merely an intention to bring in a cap on catastrophic care costs in future years, falling way short of the expectations he raised.

“If the chancellor does announce next week that he is kicking it into the long grass, probably to disappear altogether, it will mean we have endured a lost decade or more where social care is concerned. Millions of older and disabled people have had to put up with inadequate services over that period.”

Meanwhile the Alzheimer’s Society has warned that rolling back on the care cap by two years is a 'damaging blow' to people with dementia.

Not investing in social care is a ‘false economy’

Mark MacDonald, associate director of advocacy and system change at Alzheimer’s Society, said: “Government must not roll back on the care cap. This social care reform was a crucial first step to tackle catastrophic care costs, limiting the amount people had to pay towards their care.

“People with dementia are the biggest users of social care – at least 70 per cent of care home users have dementia – and this delay would be a damaging blow at a time when many of them will be struggling with bills and need action on the cost of care too."

As chancellor, Mr Sunak imposed a 1.25 per cent national insurance hike to help the NHS tackle backlogs, with money going to social care, however, Liz Truss scrapped the measure.

Mr MacDonald said: "Successive governments have promised to properly address the social care system yet we don't appear to be any further towards tackling this national crisis.

“Not investing in social care is a false economy which not only adds to the uncertainty and distress felt by those using the system, but places even greater pressure on the NHS. The government must prioritise dementia, prioritise social care and think again.”