Burnham Opens Cross-Party Social Care Talks, Brings Casey Review Forward to 2027
Updated
Updated · BBC.com · Jul 29
Burnham Opens Cross-Party Social Care Talks, Brings Casey Review Forward to 2027
3 articles · Updated · BBC.com · Jul 29
Summary
Baroness Casey will now deliver her social care recommendations in 2027, a year earlier than planned, after Andy Burnham said England’s current system is “bad for everybody.”
Cross-party talks with the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats are due to start as Burnham seeks backing for major reform and asks Casey to examine how any overhaul should be funded.
Four main options frame the debate: a cap on lifetime care costs, a more generous means test, free personal care, or a full national care service.
Costs vary sharply across those models, from earlier estimates of £1.3 billion-£2.2 billion a year for a Dilnot-style cap to about £19 billion extra annually by 2036 for a universal system.
The push revives a long-running political problem after past plans under David Cameron, Theresa May, Boris Johnson and Labour all stalled over funding, tax and fairness.