Should the UK create an NHS‑style social care system, free at the point of use?
Adult social care in England is means-tested, with people holding assets over £23,250 usually paying all costs for home or residential care, unlike the free-at-point-of-use NHS. Prime Minister Andy Burnham pledged on 27 September 2026 an NHS-principle national care service where everyone contributes and is covered, to feature in Labour's next manifesto. The system faces severe pressures including council overspends of £715m, workforce shortages, delayed discharges from hospitals and rising demand from an ageing population with complex needs.
5 Opinions
No. Why should I as a PAYE pig pay for Gladys to get a free care home after transferring her million pound house to her kids?
I won't deny that our social care system needs some serious reform. But making it 100% tax payer funded is just fiscally illogical without gutting more public services. Not going to pretend I know what the answer is but I think it starts with binning off the private equity vultures and fixing local delivery, but keeping an element of personal asset contribution so as not to stretch already thinned out taxpayers
No, one NHS is enough. The basic truth in live is that demand is infinite and supply is limited. I can't fund it all.
A system we can’t afford, welfare build needs cutting not growing.
Without cutting the NHS budget, definitely not. But I’d prefer we transition to a privately funded system anyway.