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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 |
(35 minutes later) | |
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. | 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. |
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. | |
The seemingly unprecedented reversal on a clear manifesto pledge comes after she threw out plans for the cap just last Thursday, insisting it was not necessary to protect older people from catastrophic care costs. | |
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. | 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 announced the hugely damaging U-turn as she launched the Welsh Conservatives’ manifesto, in Wrexham. | |
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". | 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". |
She also faced accusations that she had undermined her claim to be the tough leader to take Britain through the Brexit negotiations, having "buckled" so quickly when under fire. | |
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. | 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. | “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.” | 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. | 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. |
Tim Farron, the Liberal Democrat leader, seized on the Prime Minister’s claims that the “principles’ of her policy were intact, saying: “May's manifesto meltdown changes nothing. | |
“As Theresa May has made clear herself, nothing has changed and her heartless dementia tax remains in place. | |
"This is a cold and calculated attempt to pull the wool over people's eyes. Theresa May still wants to take older people's homes to fund social care.” | |
Andrew Gwynne, Labour’s election co-ordinator, branded the Prime Minister “weak and unstable”, adding: “She is unable to stick to her own manifesto for more than four days. | |
“And by failing to put a figure for a cap on social care costs, she has only added to the uncertainty for millions of older people and their families. | |
“You can’t trust the Tories - if this is how they handle their own manifesto, how will they cope with the Brexit negotiations?” |