Care costs will ‘only go up’ in ageing society, warns Hunt

BORIS JOHNSON’S health and social care levy will “only go up” because of the growing costs associated with Britain’s ageing population, Jeremy Hunt has said.

The former health secretary said the Government needed to level with the public that the 1.25 percentage point hike in National Insurance would increase further in the future.

Mr Hunt added that the levy was the “most transparent” way of funding health and social care, arguing that the “extent” of any increase could then be debated at “every election.”

“I think we need to be honest with people. I’m afraid it’s only going to go up in the future. That’s because of the pressures of demography,” he told Times Radio.

His intervention comes after ministers last week set out how a £5.4billion cash injection for social care would be spent over the next three years.

Alongside establishing the £86,000 cap on lifetime care costs, the Government is to set up a repairs service to help older and disabled people adapt their homes to live for longer with their families or independently.

At least £300million will be invested to increase supported housing and £150 million to drive greater adoption of technology to support independent living and improved care.

A previously announced £500 million will also go towards ensuring the social care workers have the right training and qualifications and feel valued.

However, MPS and industry leaders have warned that the latest plans will “barely” deliver the funds necessary for local authorities to maintain services for eligible residents.

The squeeze is expected to have knock-on effects for the NHS, with continued delays to elderly people being discharged from hospitals due to problems with finding suitable care packages for them.

Asked yesterday whether the levy, which is expected to raise £12billion annually, was set high enough, Mr Hunt said it was “about the right place to start”.