Embargoed: 00:01 Thursday 23rd May
Responding to a report by IPPR calling for income tax rises to fund social care, John O'Connell, Chief Executive of the TaxPayers' Alliance, said:
“We need a more sustainable funding solution for social care - but putting up income tax would be a hit to household budgets and make it even harder for families to pay their bills. It's utterly mad that the government is spending billions on foreign aid each year, and has set aside over £50bn for the wasteful HS2 project, but then bemoans funding for social care.
"In the short term, the government should be looking to cut back on unnecessary spending and divert some of that money into social care. In the long term, the government should be looking towards embracing new technologies and also adopting a funding model based on successful social insurance schemes in Europe."
TPA spokesmen are available for live and pre-recorded broadcast interviews via 07795 084 113 (no texts)
Media contact:
Chloe Westley
Campaign Manager, TaxPayers' Alliance
chloe.westley@taxpayersalliance.com
24-hour media hotline: 07795 084 113 (no texts)
Notes to editors:
- Founded in 2004 by Matthew Elliott and Andrew Allum, and now with 80,000 supporters, the TaxPayers’ Alliance (TPA) fights to reform taxes, reduce spending and protect taxpayers. Find out more about the TaxPayers' Alliance at www.taxpayersalliance.com.
- TaxPayers' Alliance's advisory council.
- Matt Hancock, the Health Secretary, is understood to favour a system of social care insurance based on the auto-enrollment pension scheme: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2019/05/20/fund-social-care-way-nhs-complete-welfare-state-says-jacob-rees/.
- The TaxPayers' Alliance recently published a report detailing how the use of new technology in the healthcare sector could save billions of pounds and improve patient. care: https://www.taxpayersalliance.com/embracing_technology_in_health_and_social_care.