Prime Minister Andy Burnham recently announced a new settlement for older people: protecting a State Pension that rises every year with a National Care Service that provides older people with free personal care to give everyone peace of mind in later life.
Fixing social care will also save money for the NHS – fewer ambulance call outs, fewer A&E admissions, fewer beds being taken by people who don’t want or need to be there.
Whilst the State Pension changes will apply across the UK, so far, the new National Care Service is England only.
Equivalent funding will be made available for Wales but it will be up to the current Plaid Welsh Government to decide where it will be spent. I will be making the case very strongly for it to be used for a National Care Service here too.
A new National Care Service will be largely paid for by adjusting the State Pension Triple Lock from April 2030. Honouring Labour’s commitment to the triple lock until then will see the state pension rise by over £2,000, reaching almost 30% of average earnings – the highest it has ever been.
After that date, the State Pension will continue to rise each year by inflation, 2.5%, or any additional amount needed to maintain its value relative to average earnings. Nobody’s pension will ever go down. Pensioners will still be protected from rising prices and share in the growing prosperity of the nation.
The last Welsh Labour government were working towards a national care and support service for Wales, aiming to create a system free at the point of need. Our Senedd Elections manifesto committed to developing our own fully funded Welsh Care Service.
Plaid need to make that same promise and not make the same mistakes they did with Additional Learning Needs funding before the summer break.