Govt’s social care plans are ‘very progressive’ argues PM

Boris Johnson has described the government’s social care plans as “very progressive” earlier today.

In the wake of his address to the CBI’s annual conference, he responded to a question on the issue, saying: “Please don’t be under any illusions – this is much more generous than previous systems. It is very progressive as Andrew Dilnot and others have said themselves.

There is a “housing disregard”, he highlighted, saying that the new cap permits the market to “come in” where previously “the risk was seen as unlimited”.

Sir Andrew Dilnot , who authored the 2011 report into the crisis, told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme earlier today that the plans must ensure that “regardless of their circumstances, people hit the cap at the same length of time”, and that under the new plans “two identical people,… the one with lower income wealth will hit the cap at a much later time”.

“For those with assets of less than £100,000, we are not tackling catastrophic costs… we are not tackling catastrophic cost for the less well off, although we are for the better off,” he explained.

During the 2019 election campaign prime minister Boris Johnson said that “No one would have to sell their homes” to afford social care under the Conservatives’ new plans.

The government announced its social care overhaul plan in September, in which they said no one would be made to pay over £86,000 for essential assistance such as help with such as washing, dressing and eating.

The plans also promised that those with assets below £100,000 would receive better help towards social care costs.

However any increased financial assistance will not count towards their cap, meaning that those with under £100,000 in assets will pay a higher chunk of their assets than someone with bigger savings who would hit the cap sooner.

Labour have urged Conservative backbenchers to rebel against the plans.

MPs will vote on the plans later today.