Today, following Jeremy Corbyn’s attempts to manipulate the fears of old and vulnerable people, Theresa May will confirm her determination to confront one of the great challenges facing Britain: to cope with our ageing population while ensuring fairness across the generations.
As the manifesto set out, a new Conservative government will publish a social care green paper later this year, and today Prime Minister Theresa May confirmed that the green paper will include an absolute limit on care costs. This means that, under Conservative plans:
- social care will get the right funding model it needs
- nobody will have to sell their family home to pay for their care
- nobody will ever have to go below £100,000 of their savings, so they will always have something to pass on to their family
- we will make sure there will be an absolute limit on what people will need to pay for their care.
And we will achieve these things by being fair across the generations, so we do not have to increase taxes on working age people, as Jeremy Corbyn proposes.
But like all other policies, this approach is underpinned by our plan to get the right Brexit deal for Britain. Getting Brexit wrong will risk the prosperity of everyone in this country, pensioners and younger people alike – and Theresa May is the only person in this election with a plan to get the right deal for Britain.
Prime Minister Theresa May said:
"Who knows what deals Jeremy Corbyn will do to get the support of the Lib Dems, Plaid Cymru and the SNP. Because we know he would do anything to get their support. And, after the weekend, we now know the tactics he is prepared to adopt to get into Number 10.
"He has no strong plan for Britain, which takes on the country's long-term challenges, like I have. No, he wants to sneak over the line by manipulating the fears of old and vulnerable people - and falsely claiming that families will lose their house as a result of our social care policy. That is shameful - and it is a shameful abdication of responsibility.
"So today I want to put an end to Jeremy Corbyn’s fake claims and clarify any doubts about our social care policy and the family home. My manifesto is honest and upfront about our challenges. It includes plans to strengthen the social care system with more and sustainable funding to cope with the long-term pressures caused by the fact that we are an ageing society.
"Jeremy Corbyn wants to duck this reality - and play politics. But there will be two million more people over 75 years old in Britain over the next decade alone. Our social care system will collapse unless we make some important decisions now about how we fund it.
"That is why we have to act. And it is why - to give people security - we included in our plans measures to make sure nobody has to sell the family home to pay for care. And we also said that we would protect £100,000 of your savings so, however expensive your care, you can pass something on to your family.
"Let’s be clear. This plan replaces the existing system where people often get poor quality care - and stand to lose almost all their savings and assets, including the family home. This plan addresses the worry people have when they have a loved one with a long-term condition, and they don’t know how they’re going to afford to care for them.
"So these are good and sensible plans. They provide the beginning of a solution to social care without increasing taxes on younger generations. And, I should say, we are the only party in this election prepared to face up to the reality of our ageing society and offer a long-term solution.
"But since my manifesto was published, the proposals have been subject to fake claims made by Jeremy Corbyn. The only things he has left to offer in this campaign are fake claims, fear and scare mongering. So I want to make a further point clear. This manifesto says that we will come forward with a consultation paper, a government green paper. And that consultation will include an absolute limit on the amount people have to pay for their care costs.
"So let me reiterate. We are proposing the right funding model for social care. We will make sure nobody has to sell their family home to pay for care. We will make sure there’s an absolute limit on what people need to pay. And you will never have to go below £100,000 of your savings, so you will always have something to pass on to your family.
"And what is Jeremy Corbyn’s plan? He can promise a nonsensical, fantasy policy that can only be funded through massive tax rises on younger generations. In fact, just recently he threatened to increase the basic rate of income tax for millions of people from 20 to 25 per cent to fund social care. That tells you everything you need to know about Jeremy Corbyn’s answer to the problem.
"The alternative is that he sticks to the status quo, which too often provides poor care and leaves old and vulnerable people having to sell their family homes.
"This manifesto provides a better way. With it I’m leading Britain, while Mr. Corbyn is simply scaremongering among the elderly and the vulnerable."