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Theresa May waters down 'dementia tax' in extraordinary U-turn after poll lead slashed Theresa May waters down 'dementia tax' in extraordinary U-turn after poll lead slashed
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Theresa May has carried out an extraordinary U-turn by watering down her "dementia tax", just four days after it was the centrepiece of her election manifesto. Theresa May has performed an extraordinary U-turn by watering down her "dementia tax", just four days after making it the centrepiece of her election manifesto.
The Conservatives will pledge to introduce a cap on lifetime care costs, after widespread protests that more families would be forced to sell the homes of pensioners paying for their care. A clearly flustered Prime Minister announced the Conservatives would pledge to introduce a cap on lifetime care costs, following widespread protests that more families would be forced to sell the homes of pensioners paying for their care.
Just last Thursday, the Prime Minister threw out plans for the cap, insisting it was not necessary to protect older people from catastrophic care costs. The seemingly unprecedented reversal on a clear manifesto pledge comes after she appeared to throw out plans for the cap just last Thursday, insisting it was not necessary to protect older people from catastrophic care costs.
But the package has been dubbed a “dementia tax”, because pensioners who own their properties would have to pay for care they receive in their own homes for the first time. But the measure was dubbed a “dementia tax”, because pensioners who own their properties would have to pay for care they receive in their own homes for the first time.
Those homes would then have to be sold to pay their bills, after their deaths, after the commitment to a cap on overall care costs of around £72,000 was dropped.Those homes would then have to be sold to pay their bills, after their deaths, after the commitment to a cap on overall care costs of around £72,000 was dropped.
Ms May was expected to announce the hugely damaging U-turn as she launched the Welsh Conservatives’ manifesto. Ms May announced the potentially hugely damaging U-turn as she launched the Welsh Conservatives’ manifesto, in Wrexham.
It was not clear whether the rethink would specifically ease the impact on pensioners receiving care in their own homes – or how it would be paid for.  However, she refused to say at what level the cap might be said - underlining the state of panic and the last-minute nature of the U-turn. Facing her toughest questions on the campaign trail, the Prime Minister was accused by reporters of being "weak and wobbly" and of having published a "manifesto of chaos".
More follows… But Ms May refused to admit she had performed a U-turn - despite rejecting a cap four days ago - telling her audience: "Nothing has changed, nothing has changed."
The Prime Minister insisted she was “clarifying any doubt about our social care policy and the family home” – repeatedly accusing Jeremy Corbyn of making “fake claims” about it.
“These are good and sensible plans – they provide the beginnings of a solution to social care without increasing taxes on younger generations,” she insisted.
Confirming the U-turn, Ms May added: “That consultation will include an absolute limit on the amount that people have to pay for their care costs.”
It was not clear whether the rethink would specifically ease the impact on pensioners receiving care in their own homes – or how it would be paid for.
More follows.