Burnham backs free social care but gives no timetable for reform
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Andy Burnham has reaffirmed that social care should be free at the point of delivery, but has provided no timetable for reform and ruled out changes before the next general election. He said Labour would set out a vision for a National Care Service in its next manifesto, while acknowledging that introducing it would cost billions and might prove politically unpopular.
Burnham rejected an estimate of £18 billion a year as too high, arguing that people already pay tens of thousands of pounds for care and can lose their homes. He said the system should follow NHS principles, with everyone contributing and being covered; Baroness Casey is developing detailed proposals, while a possible 10 per cent inheritance tax has previously been suggested as funding.
- Burnham backs free social care but gives no implementation date.
- Labour plans a National Care Service manifesto commitment.
- Reform could cost billions, with funding unresolved.
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Social care is the support provided to people who need help with daily tasks because of age, illness or disability. In England, unlike NHS treatment, it is not generally free: many people must pay towards care, and those with significant savings or property can face large bills.
Andy Burnham is the mayor of Greater Manchester and a senior Labour politician. He has argued for a National Care Service based on the NHS principle that care should be funded collectively and available to everyone, while Baroness Casey is working on proposals for how such a system might operate.
The debate matters because demand for care is rising and the current system can leave families facing difficult financial choices. Any reform would require billions of pounds in public funding and decisions about how that money should be raised, such as through taxation.
Both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
Free social care based on NHS principles could protect people from losing their homes or exhausting their savings because of care needs, while ensuring access depends on need rather than wealth. Supporters argue that everyone should contribute through taxation and everyone should be covered, creating a simpler and fairer system. They may also see a clear long-term plan as necessary even if reform is expensive and politically difficult.
The case against
Opponents may argue that making social care free would create a major and potentially unaffordable burden on taxpayers, particularly when public finances are already constrained. Without a firm timetable or settled funding mechanism, promises of a National Care Service could raise expectations without providing practical certainty. They might favour more limited or gradual reform, targeted at those in greatest need, rather than adopting universal coverage immediately.
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Originally published by Daily Mail as “Andy Burnham says social care must be free at the point of use – but won’t say when and admits it will cost billions of pounds a year”.