TAXPAYERS could be hit with another hike to fund social care, Downing Street hinted yesterday.
A spokesperson for Sir Keir Starmer refused to rule out imposing a fresh levy rise this parliament in a bid to fix the country’s broken care system.
No10 said it will be up to the PM’s newly formed Commission on Social Care, led by Baroness Louise Casey, to determine “what a sustainable funding model” for older Brits could include.
It came as Sir Keir was warned that a three-year government-ordered probe into the sector is “inappropriately” long.
On Wednesday Sir Andrew Dilnot, architect of the “Dilnot reforms”, slammed Labour for waiting until 2028, a year before the next general election, to be shown recommendations by the new Commission.
Mr Dilnot told the Commons Health and Social Care committee: “I’d certainly like to see the Commission report earlier and I’d very much hope that it will.
“I don’t get the impression that Louise Casey is somebody who likes to hang about.
“I can’t think of any reason why it should take three years, I simply can’t.”
Sir Andrew said ideas for reform should come in the first half of this parliament and the PM should consider hiking taxes again to pay for them.
The top economist blasted ministers from current and former governments for having “not had courage to go forward and do something”.
Meanwhile, Kathryn Smith, Chief Executive of the Social Care Institute for Excellence, warned the issue had become a “groundhog day” – with endless probes and commissions achieving nothing.
Sir Andrew said that it is “bleedin’ obvious” that in an “affluent society” care should be properly funded – and the responsibility now lies with the PM to sort out the issue once and for all.
He added: “I think Sir Keir’s views will be absolutely critical in this and if the Prime Minister gets behind this then something, I think, will happen.
“So I am optimistic. I’m always vague about timescales but we will get this done and we must because how can we look ourselves in the mirror and not deal with this?”
Around 2.6 million people in England aged over 50 have been unable to access care, according to Age UK.
In the October Budget last year, Rachel Reeves faced a backlash for scrapping plans by former Tory leader Boris Johnson to place an £86,000 cap on the amount anyone in England would need to spend on their personal care over their lifetime.
The Chancellor insisted the proposals were not “deliverable” – but Sir Andrew slammed the move as a “tragedy”.
