Andy Burnham Announces Cross‑Party Talks on England's Adult Social Care
Prime Minister Andy Burnham will convene a cross‑party meeting with Labour, Conservative and Liberal Democrat leaders to discuss reform of England's adult social care system. The talks follow a commission chaired by Baroness Louise Casey, which has warned that the current system is broken and that dementia is a "hidden problem" within it.
Baroness Casey said the commission will launch a national public conversation – the "Big Conversation" – this summer to secure public consent for tough choices on funding and service design. Dementia UK has urged the government to act urgently, calling for measures that protect people from having to sell assets to pay for care and for better pay and prestige for care workers.
Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch has challenged Burnham to rule out further tax rises or borrowing, while Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey will join the meeting via Zoom. The social care precept on council tax has been described as a "stealth tax". Burnham has pledged to increase pay and prestige for the social care workforce as part of the reform agenda.
Entities: Adult Social Care · Andy Burnham · Baroness Louise Casey · Dementia UK · Kemi Badenoch · Labour Party · Local Government Association · Louise Casey · National Health Service · Sir Ed Davey · United Kingdom
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how well corroborated each claim is across sources.
- [○ 1 SOURCE] Burnham aims to protect people from having to sell their property to pay for care. (Andy Burnham)
- [○ 1 SOURCE] Prime Minister Andy Burnham pledged to increase pay and prestige for social care workers. (Andy Burnham)
- [○ 1 SOURCE] The current adult social care system in England is not functioning properly. (Baroness Louise Casey)
- [○ 1 SOURCE] Baroness Louise Casey said dementia is a hidden problem within adult social care. (Baroness Louise Casey)
- [○ 1 SOURCE] Prime Minister Andy Burnham will hold cross‑party talks on adult social care. (Andy Burnham)
- [○ 1 SOURCE] The social care precept on council tax is described as a “stealth tax”. (5fc1ada9-37de-445d-a164-52c2660d2576)
- [○ 1 SOURCE] The commission will launch a national public conversation on adult social care this summer. (Baroness Louise Casey)
- [○ 1 SOURCE] The current adult social care budget does not cover the full range of care activities. (Experts cited in article)
- [○ 1 SOURCE] Baroness Louise Casey announced a national public conversation on adult social care to launch in summer. (5fc1ada9-37de-445d-a164-52c2660d2576)
- [○ 1 SOURCE] Burnham wants to protect people from having to sell assets to fund care. (Prime Minister Andy Burnham)
- [○ 1 SOURCE] Labour, Conservative and Liberal Democrat parties accepted the invitation to the cross‑party meeting on adult social care. (Party leaders)
- [○ 1 SOURCE] Prime Minister Andy Burnham is set to hold cross‑party talks on adult social care. (Prime Minister Andy Burnham)