Catherine McKinnell, Member of Parliament for Newcastle North, has criticised Conservative social care proposals.

On Friday, the Government released details of their social care cap, which will put a cap of £86,000 on lifetime social care costs. This means that people with modest assets risk losing all or most of their wealth if they need care, while wealthier people stand to lose a far smaller proportion. This is despite promises from the Prime Minister that no one would have to sell their house to fund care costs.

Commenting on the announcements, Catherine stated: “Once again we are seeing Tory promises unravel, and those in the North East and with lower assets will pay the price.

 “The average house price in the North East is £147,000. These proposals will mean that many will lose almost all their assets to cover their care costs, with the poorest pensioners having to sell their homes to fund care.

“Sir Andrew Dilnot, who brought forward the reforms initially, has slammed the proposals stating that poorer pensioners will ‘face a real catastrophe if they were one of the minority who face really big care costs’.

“Once again for a Government who claim to want to level up communities, this is going to achieve the complete opposite.

“Better off pensioners with larger assets will contribute a lower proportion to their care costs than those in the North East, where pensioners will be shouldering a much greater burden, and potentially their entire savings and value of their properties, to fund their care.”