Care costs: We think they’re a funding time-bomb; Jeremy Hunt thinks they’re a nice little earner

Last Updated: May 10, 2016By
The grinning Jeremy Hunt.

The grinning Jeremy Hunt.

Despicable words from one of the lowest vermin in a government of vermin.

Jeremy Hunt wants cash-strapped British citizens to save money to pay for the cost of their own care in later life – costs that he hopes will be bumped up by the profit-making firms he wants to see providing it.

He says he has taken the Tories’ ‘National Living Wage’ – in fact, the minimum wage with a stolen name – into account when considering costs to care home firms, but what about the cost of buying care to those who are trying to live on the same amount?

It can’t be done. The ‘National Living Wage’ isn’t enough to live on – if you’re on it, you still need benefits to pay the bills.

So Jeremy Hunt is proposing a dangerous mistake that could lead to the collapse of the UK care industry.

People will not be able to afford the cost, so care homes will not get the custom, so they will go out of business – whether publicly- or privately-run.

Why does the UK’s secretary of state for Health want this? Why does he grin when he discusses it?

Britain’s care time bomb is “one of the biggest commercial opportunities” for private firms, Jeremy Hunt has said.

The Health Secretary made the eyebrow-raising remarks today as he was grilled by MPs on the influential Health Select Committee.

He also suggested more people could start saving for their own care, treating the issue like society treats pension pots.

It comes as care homes fear they will be left penniless by the costs of the National Living Wage – throwing council-run services into the lurch.

Tory MP Maggie Throup asked if private firms, facing a cocktail of higher costs, an ageing population and stricter standards, could also be forced to bow out of providing care.

Yet Mr Hunt said although it was a “very concerning situation”, he expected “many” private firms would be willing to fill in – because they see the potential for profit.

He told the committee the government had already taken the National Living Wage into account when doing its sums.

He added: “If there are people who are exiting the market because they don’t like the much greater scrutiny over standards of care, then that’s their choice – but I think it’s the right thing for us as a society.

“At the same time I would also say that in many parts of the world businesses, because many of these organisations are private businesses, are looking at the ageing population as one of the biggest commercial opportunities.

“Because this is an area that all of us are going to spend much more money on as time goes on, both for our own care and those of our loved ones.

“So it’s important not to take a short-sighted approach as to the opportunities in that market.”

Source: Jeremy Hunt says Britain’s care time bomb is ‘one of the biggest commercial opportunities’ for private firms – Mirror Online

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9 Comments

  1. jeffrey davies May 10, 2016 at 11:46 am - Reply

    untill a true labour gov will throw out these leeches of the tax purse

  2. Dez May 10, 2016 at 12:08 pm - Reply

    This Hunt is on another planet still. Not got a clue other than ensuring the continued roll out of Cons master plan of privatising everything and ensuring their mates get a chunk of the spoils….with generous donations to the Cons as part of the cost. Where are people going to get this money from? They are already contributing to the Pension rackets. As for those currently feeding from food banks what’s their fate going to be. How many failed homes does it take to wake
    up this moronic idiot that privatisation is not the answer……

  3. Jenny Hambidge May 10, 2016 at 12:39 pm - Reply

    Absolutely disgraceful. Everything for sale- even peoples’ health, well being and need for support. He’d sell his own grandmother and everybody else’s.

  4. mrmarcpc May 10, 2016 at 1:13 pm - Reply

    Another worthless, sneaky, greedy rat who will get away with this doctors debacle and come out clean on the other side!

  5. Rupert Mitchell (@rupert_rrl) May 10, 2016 at 3:13 pm - Reply

    He is just another unfortunate example of “Birds of a Feather” and Labour needs to make certain that we rid ourselves of their greed.

  6. jay May 10, 2016 at 4:19 pm - Reply

    words on the internet, however worthy, don’t mean a thing – the people of this country have forgotten how to protest

    • James Kemp May 11, 2016 at 6:08 pm - Reply

      Do you REALLY think shouting at them on the street has any effect these days? Half the time it will not even be reported on. oh but will be on social media and on-line weird that….

  7. NMac May 11, 2016 at 7:29 am - Reply

    Hunt is, as Aneurin Bevan once said, “Lower than vermin” – much lower.

  8. Brian May 11, 2016 at 4:44 pm - Reply

    In the US civilian sector this would be called racketeering. We hear Cameron bitching about the likes of Nigeria and Afghanistan, (albeit deflection) and yet Hunt openly displays ignorance, or is it stupidity, with a smirk on his face, of equally corrupt opportunities. How many times does this gang of cretins expect people to pay for retirement. They know this is becoming an un-affordable luxury bestowed on the rich, so the consequences of draining it further seem of no consequence to a lost cause. They are the big pretenders with no scruples for any but their own ilk.

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