Burnham's National Care Service condemned as a 'mirage' as 300,000 sign petition over triple lock axe

From the Newshound archive · first published 8 October 2026 · last updated 9 October 2026.

Campaigners have savaged Andy Burnham's flagship National Care Service as a "pig in a poke" plan that will not deliver until 2030 at the earliest. Dennis Reed of Silver Voices warned that scrapping the state pension triple lock to fund it is "selective, unfair and won't raise anywhere near the funding required." The Prime Minister separately announced a £48 million dementia research partnership, driven by the death of his father Roy from Alzheimer's last month.

Silver Voices warns 30,000 people died last year waiting for social care that never arrived, calling for immediate action.