Labour bid to scrap cuts to death tax to pay carers
Labour is promising to scrap Tory inheritance tax cuts to pay carers looking after vulnerable relatives and friends an additional £10 a week in benefits if it wins the next election.
Jeremy Corbyn plans to reverse a Tory policy allowing married couples to pass on estates worth £1million free of death duties in order to fund the 17 per cent hike in Carer’s Allowance.
Payments would rise from £62.70 a week to £73.10 and Labour said the projected cost of the policy in 2020/21 would be £538million.
Jeremy Corbyn will pledge to scrap a Tory policy allowing married couples to pass on estates worth £1million free of death duties to fund a 17 per cent hike in Carer's Allowance. He is set to visit Birmingham, where he will make the announcement
Mr Corbyn will say in a visit to Birmingham: ‘Britain’s social care crisis was made in Downing Street by cutting £4.6 billion from council care budgets. Millions of unpaid carers have been forced to fill the gap and put under even greater pressure as a result.
‘The care they give to the disabled, sick and elderly saves taxpayers £132 billion a year. So we believe these unsung, unpaid heroes not only deserve our praise and recognition - they deserve better financial support.
‘That’s why Labour is convinced it’s both morally and economically right to give the Carer’s Allowance a boost of £10 a week.
‘This will be the first step in helping to transform our social care system for the 21st century and boosting support for family carers.’
Tory MP Luke Hall said the Government has increased the rate of Carer's Allowance and carers have received an extra £450 a year since 2010
But millions of families would be forced to pay tax when passing on their home to their children or grandchildren to fund the policy.
Last night Tories claimed the Labour pledge was ‘not worth the paper it is written on’.
Luke Hall MP, a member of the work and pensions select committee, said: ‘Carers make a huge contribution to society.
'That’s why we have already increased the rate of Carer’s Allowance, meaning an additional £450 a year for carers since 2010.
‘There is no way Labour could find the additional money for this promise.
‘Labour have already committed the money from corporation tax cuts 11 times over, so there is no way they could find the additional money for this promise.
‘It’s not worth the paper it’s written on - just like Labour’s reputation for economic management.’