On 7 September 2021, Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced that a new tax would be introduced from April 2023 in order to fund the National Health Service backlogs arising as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and the reform of social care in England.[60] The tax will have a similar application to NICs and will be charged to both employees and employers at a rate of 1.25% on an individual's earnings. However, it will also be payable beyond State Pension Age, which is not the case for NICs. From April 2022 to March 2023, the 1.25% increase will temporarily apply to NICs in order to give HMRC time to make the changes required in order for the levy to be introduced.