Overview
- Mr Burnham opened cross‑party talks and launched Baroness Louise Casey’s 'Big Conversation' on social care on Wednesday, July 29, 2026 to press for a lasting settlement on the sector.
- Civil servants at the Department for Health and Social Care have drawn up funding options that include an income levy reportedly set at 1.8% of earnings above £6,240 for people over 34 and other mandatory contribution models.
- Analysts and media estimates put the cost of making care free at the point of use at roughly £18 billion a year, but no formal government proposal, Office for Budget Responsibility scoring or Treasury-approved fiscal offsets have been published.
- The government says there are no plans to revive Burnham’s old estate 'death tax' proposal even as critics and parties such as Reform UK revive that rhetoric and the Conservatives demand tax‑rise and borrowing guarantees be ruled out.
- Proposals under consideration also include creating a national care service, shifting provision toward community and not‑for‑profit providers and curbing private equity returns, and any move to legislate will hinge on cross‑party agreement and detailed costings.