BORIS Johnson today broke a key election promise by hitting millions with a double-whammy tax bombshell to fix Britain's social care crisis.
The PM finally revealed his highly-controversial plan to raise National Insurance by 1.25 per cent to cap the spiralling costs of elderly care.
Pensioners will pay a maximum £86,000 over their lifetime - and then the Government will cover the rest of the bill .
Mr Johnson said this will "protect people against the catastrophic fear of losing everything to pay for the cost of their care".
But he is facing boiling rage for hitting the wallets of poorer workers while wealthy retired pensioners aren't chipping in.
The tax could see people have to pay up to £7.50 a WEEK more.
Shareholders are also going to be taxed on dividends to help raise the £12billion a year extra earmarked for the NHS and social care sector.
Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer said: "The Tories can never again claim to be the party of low tax."
In key developments:
- Pensioners still in work will also have to pay the 1.25 per cent uplift
- Shareholder profits will be taxed to help swell the NHS budget
- Cabinet agreed to the PM's radical overhaul at an in-person meeting today
- There will be an emergency vote on the plan in Parliament tomorrow
- Tory MPs were anxious the manifesto-busting gambit could cost them at the ballot box
- Matt Hancock spoke for the first time in the Commons since his lockdown-busting affair was revealed
- Ministers were also poised to rip up the pensions triple lock
HEALTH OF THE NATION
Outlining the double tax in the Commons, Mr Johnson said: "It will be irresponsible to meet the costs from higher borrowing and higher debt.
"So from next April we will create a new UK wide 1.25 per cent health and social care levy on earned income, hypothecated in law to health and social care with dividend rates increasing by the same amount."
The 1.25 per cent rise in National Insurance will kick in for both employers and employees each from April 20 next year.
Someone on a £25,000 salary will stump up an extra £193 a year. Higher earners on £67,000 will pay £715 a year - equivalent to nearly £14 a week.
From April 2023 National Insurance will revert to their current rate - and the 1.25 per cent will appear as a standalone "health and social care levy" on people's payslips.
The money raised will fund a £36billion health package over three years.
It will initially be used to tackle the enormous NHS backlog caused by axed appointments during lockdown.
But from October 2023 it will help fund the costs of social care by setting a cap on how much pensioners will be forced to pay.
Anyone with assets between £20,000 and £100,000 will receive help from the Government, which will be means tested.
CARE COST CAP
Nobody will ever pay more than £86,000 for social care costs over their lifetime. Anyone with assets under £20,000 will not pay anything.
Currently anyone with assets over £23,000 has to foot the entire cost of their care, such as nursing homes or visits that spiral into the tens of thousands.
The PM said the changes will "protect people against the catastrophic fear of losing everything to pay for the cost of their care".
But raging Tory MPs fear a backlash from voters because the tax hike rips up a 2019 manifesto pledge.
Justifying his huge political gamble, the PM said: "Yes, I accept that this breaks a manifesto commitment which is not something I do lightly.
"But a global pandemic was in no one's manifesto. I think the people of this country understand that in their bones and they can see the enormous steps that this Government and the Treasury have taken."
Mr Johnson will front a press conference with Chancellor Rishi Sunak and Health Secretary Sajid Javid this afternoon.
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