Govt 'is to consider social care compulsory payment scheme'
A Conservative u-turn on a compulsory payment scheme for social care has not been ruled out, it is claimed.
In the build-up to the election, the party campaigned against what they branded a "death tax", with hard-hitting posters claiming that then prime minister Gordon Brown wanted £20,000 from a person after they passed away.
Yet fresh reports are claiming that the coalition government is prepared to change its mind on this issue as it seeks to reform social care.
The Department of Health has confirmed that health secretary Andrew Lansley will be free to consider any possibility during his consultation on the future of social care.
"It is important that the commission has the space to rigorously consider this complex social policy issue in full," a spokesman said.
Mr Lansley has already outlined plans to provide more than £80 billion of funds directly to GPs, to allow them to manage patient treatment programmes better.
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