Andy Burnham has suggested he could delay his free national care service well into the 2030s to avoid having to raise taxes to fund it. Speaking on Wednesday, the prime minister acknowledged that savings from the scrapping of the current pensions triple lock would not fund his social care reform plans until later in the next decade. Costings published by the government on Wednesday estimate the pensions policy will save £15bn a year in cash terms by 2039-40, rising to £50bn by 2049-50, equivalent to £11bn and £30bn in current prices. Burnham said that “savings on that scale would be enough to pay for social care, but obviously they’re not released immediately”. Asked by Sky News if tax rises would be required, he said: “No, because there’s a different way of doing it. If you delay the date of introduction and you introduce a national care service progressively.” giftarticle.ft.com/giftartic…

More detail on this: Andy Burnham's new National Care Service will cover personal care costs - as per the Scottish system - but not residential element of staying in a care home.