General Election, June 8th

[Strokes]

5 minutes ago, Sharpe's Fox said:

It's amazing how this policy has been decreed as awful from both sides. Labour saying it's the death of universalism and the idea of pooled risk in society and Conservatives decrying it as an attack on responsible savers and property owners.

I think both arguments have merit, the consistent point is, it's a terrible policy. Key to that, it's one they seem proud of. Fúck that

[LiberalFox]

1 hour ago, Jon the Hat said:

I find myself rather uncomfortable going into this election.

Fair play to May she has not gone with a simple manifesto, she has put herself and her views out there to be shot down.  Hopefully some of them will be shot down, as I feel she is taking the party too far down the path of austerity right now, and not thinking of the consequences.

I agree with the economic fundamentals of the manifesto - low tax, scrap the triple lock, get rid of silly commitments which tie your hands on tax & NI increases if needed.

I also agree we need to do something to fill the huge whole in the social care budget, and that is probably reasonable for those who have more resources to pay more for their care, but I am struggling with the fairness of the proposed scheme;  much as I dislike pulling out one example and beating it to death, this point about luck being the deciding factor in whether you leave behind assets for your kids is a fair one.

I am also concerned on funding for schools in particular, and would much rather the policy said that free school meals funding is to be handed to schools for them to use as they see fit.  I support the free schools program, but it is not being applied very well when a new primary school is to be built 100 metres from an existing one in the same village in place of building one new school on the site, all becuase funding is there only for a free school, for which the existing school could not apply.  Nuts, and I am sure there are other examples.

 

Its times like this I wish we had a real liberal party.  Boo.

 

Why wouldn't you vote Lib Dem? Due to Brexit?

[Rincewind]

My stepfather was in a care home for dementia before he died last year. It was private and my brother paid most of it. I don't know what it cost but it was a substantial amount. Luckily he could afford it as far as I know. May have been over £300 PW. I have not looked at the policy so do not know how it would have affected the family but if Tories are slamming it as well as labour then something is wrong with it.

Are there any positive with it for the average person?

[Sharpe's Fox]

11 minutes ago, LiberalFox said:

 

Why wouldn't you vote Lib Dem?

[Rincewind]

We do have a real Liberal party albeit very small and very little mentioned because of their size. They disassociate themselves from the LibDems and hold the traditional Liberal values They have some councillors scattered around the country and will put up very few candidates for the election. I wish there were more but maybe they are not radical or vocal enough to attract media attention.

[Guest]

14 minutes ago, Rincewind said:

My stepfather was in a care home for dementia before he died last year. It was private and my brother paid most of it. I don't know what it cost but it was a substantial amount. Luckily he could afford it as far as I know. May have been over £300 PW. I have not looked at the policy so do not know how it would have affected the family but if Tories are slamming it as well as labour then something is wrong with it.

Are there any positive with it for the average person?

Care home fees are often in excess of £1500 per week i believe

[Sharpe's Fox]

Nothing has changed, nothing has changed!

Mrs May is insistent that nothing has changed between the manifesto launch detailing the Conservative's social care proposals and today's announcement of a cap.

"Nothing has changed, nothing has changed," she says, sounding increasingly exasperated.

 

STRONG AND STABLE LADS

[RobHawk]

There definately seems to be a change of views in the air. 
Suddenly, Corbyn doesn't seem so bad!

[RobHawk]

 

[Rincewind]

6 minutes ago, toddybad said:

Care home fees are often in excess of £1500 per week i believe

Strewth. My mother did sell her house and move in with my sister after he went in. Well to be more accuate it was a house that came with the hotel my brother had and he kept it on and my parents had it rent free. Maybe it was the sale of the house that paid for his care. I don't know the ins and outs but my brother would have worked it all out beforehand. A wizard in the financial stakes.

[Sharpe's Fox]

6 minutes ago, RobHawk said:

 

According to a certain Damien Green a cap would also "mean that the distribution of the benefits became wildly uneven". Hilarious.

[Alf Bentley]

16 minutes ago, toddybad said:

Care home fees are often in excess of £1500 per week i believe

 

That sounds too high, though it varies between homes and regions.

 

As of 2 years ago, when I made enquiries for my Dad, £28-35,000 per year was typical in Leicester - so more like £600 to £700 per week (more in nursing homes).

Initially, I arranged external care visits via social services, which cost about £150 per week for a couple of visits per day.

When his condition deteriorated enough for him to need someone available continuously, the live-in carer cost £850 per week (in London).

[RobHawk]

4 minutes ago, Sharpe's Fox said:

According to a certain Damien Green a cap would also "mean that the distribution of the benefits became wildly uneven". Hilarious.

yeah i just read he said that yesterday on Andrew Marr! Definate panic stations! 

[Rincewind]

It was too much for my mother with her approaching 80. The home was in Cockermouth. Forget the name but may recognise it. Does the policy only apply to people not able to pay? Like I said I have not looked at it.

[EnderbyFox]

This is all getting very confusing from May. How long before she begins to U-turn on her U-turns? She must be getting awfully dizzy.

[RobHawk]

STRONG AND STABLE!!!

[Sharpe's Fox]

1 minute ago, EnderbyFox said:

This is all getting very confusing from May. How long before she begins to U-turn on her U-turns? She must be getting awfully dizzy.

Quick, everyone link hands and say the magic words to make the bad things go away! 

strong and stable

strong and stable

strong and stable

[EnderbyFox]

[Buce]

 

[Rincewind]

I believe the home my stepdad was in was Dalton Court. It may have been funded partly by the local health authority. Cannot see any prices.

[Buce]

35 minutes ago, Sharpe's Fox said:

Nothing has changed, nothing has changed!

Mrs May is insistent that nothing has changed between the manifesto launch detailing the Conservative's social care proposals and today's announcement of a cap.

"Nothing has changed, nothing has changed," she says, sounding increasingly exasperated.

 

STRONG AND STABLE LADS

 

Weak and unstable liar - this is what the manifesto actually said:

 

"Under the current system, care costs deplete an individual’s assets, including in some cases the family home, down to £23,250 or even less. These costs can be catastrophic for those with modest or medium wealth. One purpose of long-term saving is to cover needs in old age; those who can should rightly contribute to their care from savings and accumulated wealth, rather than expecting current and future taxpayers to carry the cost on their behalf. Moreover, many older people have built considerable property assets due to rising property prices. Reconciling these competing pressures fairly and in a sustainable way has challenged many governments of the past. We intend to tackle this with three connected measures.

First, we will align the future basis for means-testing for domiciliary care with that for residential care, so that people are looked after in the place that is best for them. This will mean that the value of the family home will be taken into account along with other assets and income, whether care is provided at home, or in a residential or nursing care home.

Second, to ensure this is fair, we will introduce a single capital floor, set at £100,000, more than four times the current means test threshold. This will ensure that, no matter how large the cost of care turns out to be, people will always retain at least £100,000 of their savings and assets, including value in the family home.

Third, we will extend the current freedom to defer payments for residential care to those receiving care at home, so no-one will have to sell their home in their lifetime to pay for care."

 

No mention of a cap.

[EnderbyFox]

Quote

Who'd be gullible enough to believe a word Theresa May says? She's flipped from Remain to Brexit, called an election she said she didn't need to get a mandate she claimed she already had. Say what you like about Corbyn, he sticks to his principles.

 

Even the Daily Mail comments section is beginning to turn on May, this is the highest voted comment 

[Rincewind]

Strong and stable.

 

 

[RobHawk]

Just read into todays events in a bit more detail, astonishing from the PM. In a nutshell:

 

• Torys announce new Care plan on Thursday, no mention of a cap and Jeremy Hunt specifically quoted as saying they had dropped cap as it was deemed unfair
• Policy is slammed over the weekend, but Green and Gaulke are sent on to Sunday politic TV shows to defend it.
• Monday morning comes and PM turns a full U turn to say it does include a cap.
• Most incredibly - She says it always included a cap and that the lack of clarity on this is because the Labour party have misrepresented their policy

So our PM is a bareface liar and thinks she can fool the general public. In a normal election she'd be done! In this election - It may make things a little more interesting!

[Strokes]

34 minutes ago, Alf Bentley said:

 

That sounds too high, though it varies between homes and regions.

 

As of 2 years ago, when I made enquiries for my Dad, £28-35,000 per year was typical in Leicester - so more like £600 to £700 per week (more in nursing homes).

Initially, I arranged external care visits via social services, which cost about £150 per week for a couple of visits per day.

When his condition deteriorated enough for him to need someone available continuously, the live-in carer cost £850 per week (in London).

It was £52,000 per annum for my grandma in a nursing home.