By Elliot Wright, 10th February 2010
The Conservatives today hit out at Labour's plans for free home
care for the elderly, accusing the government of deliberately
refusing to reveal how the scheme will be funded.
Labour's Personal Care at Home Bill, which is at an advanced
stage in the House of Lords, will give 400,000 vulnerable elderly
people free personal care at home.
Currently, thousands of elderly people with severe illnesses
such as dementia and Alzheimer's disease must pay for their own
care if they possess over £23,000 in assets, including their
home.
However, many struggle to pay care home fees and are forced to
sell their homes - leaving them in financial ruin and with nothing
to bequeath to their loved ones.
Gordon Brown pledged to solve the problem with an expanded
"national care system" which will ensure that elderly people
receive the free care they should be entitled to and not left out
of pocket.
But Conservative leader David Cameron today criticised the
government's plans on how they expect to fund the £670m-a-year
scheme.
The Conservatives allege that Labour will impose a flat-rate
"death duty" of £20,000 on the estates of the deceased to help
raise the funds -a claim that Mr Brown refused to rule out in
today's Prime Minister's Questions.
Mr Cameron said: "You want to tell us about the benefits of the
policy before the election and tell us about the costs after the
election. This isn't about the benefit of the elderly. It's about
the benefit of the Labour Party."
The Tory leader repeatedly challenged Mr Brown on the £20,000
levy but the Prime Minister dodged the question and railed against
the Conservatives for failing to come up with any policies.
Shadow Health Secretary Andrew Lansley said the Tories would
oppose any compulsory levy.
He said: "Behind closed doors Ministers are secretly planning a
death tax of up to £20,000 per head which would be levied on the
estates of grieving families. It is costly plan for which every one
of use would end up paying the price."
Health Secretary Andy Burnham had hinted that Labour was
planning a new 'inheritance levy' to cover the costs but later
dismissed claims that it would be a flat rate.
He said the government is determined to protect the most
vulnerable. "I do not believe that a flat levy of that kind is the
right way to go," he said.
"The most vulnerable people, who have dementia, Alzheimer's,
Parkinson's - they can see themselves, their families, literally
wiped out, wiped out emotionally, wiped out financially."
The government is expected to reveal their cost plans for the
free personal care scheme before the general election.
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