British government planning tax hike to fund social care

The British government is reportedly planning a tax hike to help fund adult social care

The British government is planning a tax hike for nearly 25 million people to help fund adult social care and the National Health Service, newspapers reported on Friday.

The Telegraph and The Times said the government was looking at hiking National Insurance social security contribution rates by between 1 and 2 percentage points in return for capping the amount an individual would have to spend on social care costs in their lifetime.

Work is going on and I'm sure we will hear the outcomes very soon, justice minister Robert Buckland told Sky News when asked about the reports. No final decisions have been made.

The move would break a 2019 election promise by Prime Minister Boris Johnson's Conservatives not to raise the rate of income tax, the VAT sales tax or National Insurance.

The British public are sensible enough to know that when it comes to the issue of social care we have got to find some way in which it will be adequately funded, Buckland told BBC News.

After winning the 2019 election, Johnson said he had a "clear plan" to fix the crisis in social care. But his agenda was soon eclipsed by the pandemic. The reports said an announcement could come next week.

Johnson's office favours a 1% rise in the tax, while the finance ministry is possibly looking at a higher rate of up to 1.25%, the Telegraph reported. The Times said health minister Sajid Javid had pushed for as much as a 2% rise.

The opposition Labour Party said the move would hit low earners, young people and business.

The Telegraph said that in return for the higher contributions, the government would cap the amount a person spends on social care costs during their lifetime, possibly at between £60,000 ($83,010) and £80,000.