Boris Johnson unveils massive £36bn NHS cash splash with new tax hike
Biggest NHS catch-up in history
Boris Johnson has announced a jaw-dropping £36 billion boost for frontline NHS services over the next three years. He called it the “biggest catch-up programme in the NHS’ history,” promising to tackle the Covid backlog head-on.
Although the new tax breaks a manifesto promise, Johnson shrugged it off: “The global pandemic was in no one’s manifesto.”
New tax hike hits workers and bosses
The plan kicks off in April 2022 with a 1.25% rise in National Insurance, hitting both employers and workers. From 2023, it’ll turn into a separate tax on earned income, clearly shown on payslips. The tax on dividend income—cash shareholders rake in—will also climb 1.25%.
Cash will clear NHS backlog and boost care
Johnson pledged £12 billion a year will go straight into clearing the Covid backlog, expanding hospital capacity by nine million more appointments, scans, and operations. By 2024/25, he promised 30% more elective patients will get treatment than before the pandemic.
The funds will also overhaul social care, introducing a lifetime cap of £86,000 on care costs from October 2023.
Social care shake-up to protect savings
- Anyone with less than £20,000 in assets will get free care.
- Those with £20,000 to £100,000 will get subsidies on care costs.
Johnson insisted: “Everyone will contribute according to their means.” He added, “You can’t fix the Covid backlogs without giving the NHS the money it needs. You can’t fix the NHS without fixing social care. You can’t fix social care without removing the fear of losing everything to pay for it.”
“The plan that this government is setting out… will fix all of those problems together.”
Labour warns plan is mere ‘sticking plaster’
But Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer slammed the plan, calling it little more than a “sticking plaster” on deeper NHS woes.
