By How your MP’s voted on the controversial Health and Care amendment
The new Health and Care Bill currently going through the House of Commons will see no-one in the UK paying more than £86,000 towards their own care costs.
On Monday 22 November, Boris Johnson narrowly succeeded in getting MPs to back a controversial amendment to the Bill – winning by 272 to 246.
The amendment will see more people becoming entitled to means-tested council funding but will also see the poorest members of society having to pay the same as some of the richest.
Despite criticism from Labour and many other MPs, the PM insisted that the new plan is ‘more generous’ than the existing plan.
The cap would cover care expenses for things like washing and dressing, but would not help with living costs such as food, utility bills or care home fees.
Under the government’s wider social care plan, from October 2023:
- those with assets of less than £20,000 will not have to pay anything from these towards care fees – although they might have to pay from their income
- those with more than £100,000 in assets – the value of their home, savings or investments – will not get any financial help from the council
- those with assets between £20,000 and £100,000 will qualify for council help, but will have to pay £86,000 out of their own pocket to reach the cap
The cap has been passed through the House of Commons, and now will need to be discussed in the House of Lords before it can be made into legislation.
Nineteen Conservative MPs voted against the government, including Scunthorpe MP Holly Mumby-Croft and Andrew Percy, MP for Brigg and Goole.
Both MPs have been contacted for a statement regarding their vote.
