‘Dementia tax’ forces U-turn

Amount elderly have to pay for social care to be capped, says PM May

Wrexham, (Wales)/ London, May 22: Britain will cap the amount elderly people have to pay for social care, Prime Minister Theresa May said on Monday after a backlash against her election proposal to make more people contribute to the costs.

Opinion polls ahead of a June 8 election have shown the lead enjoyed by her governing Conservative Party has halved since she set out proposals last week to reduce financial support for some elderly voters.

“We will come forward with a consultation paper ... And that consultation will include an absolute limit on the amount people have to pay for their care costs,” she said at the launch of her party’s election policy document in Wales.

“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.”

The Prime Minister also urged voters to back her to deliver the country’s exit from the European Union, playing one of her strongest cards in the election campaign. After launching her manifesto last week, Ms May returned to her core message, saying that Mr Corbyn was not committed to or capable of securing a successful Brexit.

“The deal we seek will be negotiated by me or Jeremy Corbyn. There will be no time to waste and no time for a new government to find its way,” Ms May will say, according to extracts of a speech that will highlight that divorce talks with the EU could begin 11 days after the election.

Officials of the EU are preparing for Brexit talks to begin on June19 but expect confirmation of the date only after the British vote. Although both Ms May and Mr Corbyn campaigned last year to remain in the EU, polls show that Ms May is more trusted to secure a good deal in talks with Brussels and that some voters are confused about Labour’s position on the issue.

Last week, Mr Corbyn promised to tear up Ms May’s Brexit strategy prioritising control over immigration by promising to leave the European single market. He pledged instead to focus on protecting jobs, preserving living standards and retaining access to the single market. Mr Corbyn has been criticised by some Labour voters for not opposing Ms May’s EU exit strategy strongly enough. — Reuters