Feryal Clark MP slams Government over unfair Health and Social Care Levy

The Health and Social Care Levy that the Tories have forced through today is a manifesto-breaking, economically damaging, unfair tax on jobs.

This is the biggest rise in taxes on families for over 50 years, with no thought to the impact on working people in Enfield North and across the UK.

Under the Prime Minister’s plan many people will still have to sell their homes to afford the cost of care, doing nothing to solve the crisis in social care that pre-dates the pandemic.

This is a Government that has underfunded and weakened the NHS and social care for a decade. NHS waiting lists spiralled, up by two million, and crucial targets on cancer, A&E and mental health were already being missed.
 
The same is true of social care where £8 billion has been cut despite growing demand, with carers on poverty wages, without secure contracts, and over 100,000 vacancies.  More than 32,000 care home residents died from Covid.

The Government can't even say when and if they can clear the NHS backlog - which means we won't know when this money will even be spent on social care.

Not only that, but this is the third tax rise on working families from the Tories in recent months, and we are soon to be faced with a hat trick of broken manifesto promises from them.

When it comes to social care, Labour’s plan doesn’t hurt the poorest and most vulnerable in society.  

Our priority will be to give older and disabled people the chance to live the life they choose, shifting the focus of support towards prevention and early help.

Labour will also build a strong and skilled social care workforce, with a new deal for care workers to create a well-motivated, skilled and properly rewarded workforce, with more support for unpaid carers.

Whilst this additional investment would need to be paid for through additional tax rises but increasing National Insurance contributions isn't right way to do it, hitting working people – especially low earners and young people – and businesses hard.

Regardless of this reckless change, I will continue to stand up for hard-working families in Enfield North and press the Government to ensure that social care is affordable and accessible to all.