Charities and older people's groups reacted with fury today amid reports Rishi Sunak plans to shelve a cap on social care costs.
A Treasury source told the Mirror the Government was “considering” a two-year delay to the overhaul which the former Prime Minister made a flagship policy of his premiership.
The £86,000 lifetime costs ceiling was due to be introduced next October.
But, tearing up a key plank of Boris Johnson ’s legacy, Chancellor Jeremy Hunt could postpone the move by a year or longer in an attempt to save billions of pounds.
He is due to announce tax rises and spending cuts at the Autumn Statement on Thursday.
Delaying the plan would trigger claims the Tories had broken another manifesto pledge - this time that no one should have to sell their home to fund their care.
Age UK charity director Caroline Abrahams said: “If the Chancellor does announce next week that he is kicking it into the long grass, probably to disappear altogether, it will mean we have endured a lost decade or more where social care is concerned.
“Millions of older and disabled people have had to put up with inadequate services over that period, and committed care staff have soldiered on despite miserly terms and conditions.
“Whether the proposed cap is delayed or abandoned or is implemented as currently planned, it is no substitute for a proper process of reform that ensures everyone who has care needs receives a decent service, tailored to their individual needs.”
Speaking outside No10 on July 24, 2019 – the day he became PM – Mr Johnson insisted: “We will fix the crisis in social care once and for all with a clear plan we have prepared to give every older person the dignity and security they deserve.”
As Chancellor, Mr Sunak imposed a 1.25% national insurance hike to help the NHS tackle backlogs.
Once cleared, the money would be pumped into social care.
However, Liz Truss scrapped the measure during her doomed 49-day premiership - and her successor is unlikely to bring it back.
That would leave a fresh funding black hole if the cap on costs went ahead - fuelling fears it will be shelved or scrapped altogether.
Ms Abrahams said: “If the Chancellor does announce next week that he is kicking it into the long grass, probably to disappear altogether, it will mean we have endured a lost decade or more where social care is concerned.
“Millions of older and disabled people have had to put up with inadequate services over that period, and committed care staff have soldiered on despite miserly terms and conditions.
“With perhaps two years until the next general election there's a responsibility on all political parties to make up for lost time and get serious about improving social care.
“It is likely to require a decade long plan, but the sooner we start the sooner we'll get there - and please, no more airy political promises that have no chance of being kept."
The Alzheimer’s Society insisted the Government “must not roll back on the care cap”.
Associate director of advocacy Mark MacDonald said: “This social care reform was a crucial first step to tackle catastrophic care costs, limiting the amount people had to pay towards their care.
“People with dementia are the biggest users of social care – at least 70% of care home users have dementia – and this delay would be a damaging blow at a time when many of them will be struggling with bills and need action on the cost of care too.”
Silver Voices director Dennis Reed said: “There is a grim inevitability about the likely delay in implementing the social care cap; the history of the last decade has been one of proposed legislation being suspended and then scrapped, leaving the social care crisis to get worse.
“The grandiose claim of Boris Johnson that he ‘fixed’ social care was always bogus but there were two elements to his policy.”
Stephen Lowe, of retirement specialist Just Group, warned: “This rumoured delay would be a catastrophic failure to deliver on much-needed reforms which were so close and yet now seem so far away and will be a hammer below for families up and down the country.
“It will plunge millions of older, more vulnerable people in our country into chaos and confusion as they wait for concrete action on social care before making their own plans.”
Lib Dem health and social care spokeswoman Daisy Cooper said: “Delaying these reforms, or even worse entirely scrapping the cap on care costs, would be yet another betrayal by the Conservatives.
“Sunak and his Government have shown their true colours today by abandoning their pledge to fix social care as soon as they could.
“They promised that no one would have to sell their house to pay for care and that they would not raise taxes to do it.
“They broke all these promises.”
The Mirror is campaigning for Fair Care For All.
