Death Tax

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Conference
2010 Retired Members' Conference
Date
20 May 2010
Decision
Carried

This Conference believes that elderly people deserve the best possible care in their latter years. However, it’s totally wrong that people who have worked hard all their life lose everything they’ve strived for, their houses, savings etc in order to pay for their care when they get old or ill. Recent government proposals for a tax on their estate, commonly known as “death tax”, are deemed unfair and unreasonable.

How is it fair or reasonable when someone who has worked, paid their taxes and saved as well as they could have to pay the tax, when another person in the community who has no assets has to pay nothing? Also, a compulsory levy would penalise families who look after their elderly relatives at home; they would have to pay the money even though their relatives did not go into residential care.

Instead of focusing on the elderly and their savings we need a far wider debate about exactly what the NHS and Social Services can be expected to provide.

We need a system that is fair, transparent, flexible and sustainable, but to achieve this social care reform needs to be an issue of consensus.

Therefore Conference requests that the National Retired Members’ Committee calls on the National Executive Council, and any other relevant organisation, to lobby Parliament and campaign to deliver a long-term solution that will not be reversed by changes in government or in the economic climate.