Reform calls for general election in response to social care ‘death tax’ that doesn’t exist

Reform has called for a general election based on an unsubstantiated claim that Labour is poised to introduce a “death tax” to fund social care.

Andy Burnham made a speech about fixing social care yesterday and held cross-party talks with the Lib Dem leader Ed Davey and the Conservative shadow health secretary Stuart Andrew about the issue.

Burnham has not explicitly ruled out tax rises, but has not yet set out how any reforms to social care will be funded either. 

However, newspapers including The Telegraph and The Daily Mail have reported that in the past Burnham has supported a flat 10% tax on everyone’s inheritance.

Reform is now claiming that Burnham wants to bring in “a death tax”. 

Deputy political editor at The Guardian, Jessica Elgot, wrote on X that Jenrick had told a Reform press conference this morning that “an official will come to your dying mother’s bedroom to tot up her jewellery, brooches and coats under Andy Burnham’s new “death tax” which – let’s remember – doesn’t actually exist”.

Reform shared a video clip from the press conference on their X account with the caption: “The British people did not vote for the death tax. We need a general election now.”

The only funding model mentioned in reporting so far, and reportedly one of several options under consideration, would see workers pay into a privately managed fund to cover the cost of their care in old age.

Yesterday, Burnham asked the media: “Please can we have a factual debate? Can we allow people to weigh up the different options… and then just come to a considered view based on those facts?

“I don’t think it should be too much to ask, because I think the public will give us their view.”

He added: “We won’t get to that point if there’s all of this stuff swirling around, and everyone frightened about everything. That just won’t get us there.”

Reform has not explained how it would deal with the issues in the care sector, other than it would block “a death tax”.

In its 2024 general election manifesto, Reform said it would exempt two million health and social care workers from paying the basic rate of income tax for three years to retain staff. 

As one X user commented: “What death tax? We ‘need’ a general election based on a tax that doesn’t exist? Have you considered working based on actual facts rather than speculation and what you think?”.

Olivia Barber is a reporter at Left Foot Forward