Whilst I think that May has handled this social care policy awfully - it never needed to be brought into this manifesto - people forget what the Labour party is likely to do on inheritance and capital gains tax
The reason, I believe, is because manifesto pledges that are then put into place once the winning party
gains power, can not be rejected by the Lords, whilst policies formed in government that were not manifesto based
are subject to endless scrutiny, which we've seen lately.
Prior to this announcement the starting point for payments for care costs were around £23,000, I've not checked, but they
probably still are. I have personal, and distressing, experience of this whole process, in that my mother, who suffered from
vascular dementia, had to live with me,who was then working, and was cared for by my wife, who was not, and still isn't,
in the best of health. This happened over a period of 3 years, until, doubly incontinent, raving and suffering intense distress,
she had to go into a care home. All her, and my late father's money, around £50,000, was quickly used up, then I was contacted
by the care home and council about any other assets, so her bungalow, worth £165,000 at the time was put up for sale.
Knowing this would happen, I had managed to arrange a 'Deed of variation' a complicated procedure that effectively gave me 50%
of the house, so this was safe, but the other half quickly went.
So, in essence, if you're in a care home, your assets will get used to fund it, the Tories proposition, however, would mean you
get to keep £100,000 of those assets.
It's been badly presented though, but if anyone can tell me what Labour proposes, or how it will find funding for this,
I'd be interested.