Burnham Speech - Adult Care & Young People

Almost a million young people not working or learning. Thousands of older people stuck in hospital because of the lack of good home care.

(Extracts below have been edited)

Adult Care

We can’t afford to carry on like this. There is only one real answer.

• A person-centred, high-quality care service that starts in the home.
• A system where everyone contributes and everyone is covered.
• Free at the point of use and no care charges paid out of your basic state pension.
• Care that is about people not profit.
• We will start laying the ground now for the National Care Service and introduce it in the next Parliament.
• It will be fully funded, and not through borrowing.

State Pension

• Triple Lock unchanged throughout this Parliament.
• From there, in April 2030, we will adjust it.
• The state pension will continue to rise every year at least by prices or 2.5%.
• Older people with nothing more than the state pension, or only a little more, will no longer be paying care charges
• Commitment to ensure that the low-income pensioners won’t be dragged into paying income tax in this Parliament.

Change in the Tripple Lock will generate significant savings which we will use to build up our National Care Service.

Young People

Either we invest in our young people. Or we pay for failure through the benefits system.

• We will rebuild a system of comprehensive education in this country with parity between academic and technical,
• Good quality pathways for all from 14.
• And the right support for our young people when they need it.
• A 45-day work placement between 16 and 18.
• An apprenticeship at 18.
• And we will require young people to take up the help presented to them – guaranteeing in-work support and not leaving those out of work losing confidence and connection.
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Andy Burnham Full Speech