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National Insurance contributions will rise by 1.25% to pay for the social care system in England in a bid to end the “unpredictable and catastrophic costs” faced by many.

A social care package, which the prime minister has called “the biggest catch-up programme” in the NHS’s history, will be funded through a new, UK-wide 1.25% ‘health and social care levy’ from April 2022.

The plan was signed off by ministers at a Cabinet meeting earlier after days of fury from Tory backbenchers.

The levy is expected to raise about £12bn which, in the early years, will mainly be used to fund dealing with the NHS backlog.

This includes £2.2 billion a year for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, as tax changes affect the whole of the UK.

Announcing the plans in the Commons, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said the costs of the programme will be split between individuals and businesses and “those who earn more will pay more”.

From October 2023, anyone with assets under £20,000 have their care costs fully covered by the state, while those with between £20,000 and £100,000 will be expected to contribute to their costs but will also receive state support.

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He added that there will be a cap of £86,000 on what people will be asked to pay over their lifetime for care.

The increase will be used exclusively on health and social care, and will raise £36 billion over the next three years, the PM said.

He told MPs the measures will cap COVID backlogs in hospitals by increasing hospital capacity “to 110% and enabling 9 million more appointments, scans and operations”.

“As a result, while waiting lists will get worse before they get better, the NHS will aim to be treating around 30% more elective patients by 2024-2025 than before COVID, the PM said.

Mr Johnson said he accepts that the measure breaks a Tory manifesto pledge not to hike national insurance, but that it was a necessary move due to COVID financial pressures.

“No Conservative government wants to raise taxes, I will be honest I accept this breaks a manifesto commitment. It is not something I do lightly but a global pandemic wasn’t iin anyone’s manifesto,” the PM told MPs in the Commons.

“This is the right the reasonable and the fair approach. I think the people of this country understand that in their bones and they can see the enormous steps that this government and the Treasury have taken.”

The PM’s official spokesperson said the change will make “the system fairer for all” and noted that working adults above pension age will also contribute to the new levy.

“The levy will be paid by working adults including those over the state pension age. From April 2022, while systems are being updates NICs rates will rise by 1.25%,” the spokesperson told reporters on Tuesday.

“Then, from April 2023, once systems are updated, the levy will be separated and the exact additional amount each employee is paying through the levy will be visible as a separate line on an individual’s payslip.

“It is at this point that working adults above pension age will contribute to the levy.

“Individuals will contribute according to their means and those who earn more will pay more.

“A typical basic rate tax payer earning £24,100 will contribute £180 – that’s £3.46 per week. A typical higher rate tax payer earning £67,100 – the top 15% of earners – will contribute £7.15.”

Referring directly to those who have opposed the national insurance hike and suggested income tax should be raised instead, the PM said this would not generate the same amount.

The PM also announced that there will be a 1.25% hike in the amount of tax that is paid on income from share dividends to help cover the costs of the social care package.

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer asked if the PM’s new plan will still lead to people selling their homes to fund care.

“The blunt and uncomfortable truth is that under the prime minister’s plans the quality of care received will not improve – there is no plan for that, people will still go without the care that they need – there is no plan for that, unpaid family carers will still be pushed to breaking point – there is no plan for that, working-age adults with disabilities will have no more control under their lives – there is no plan for that, pay and conditions will not improve for care workers – there is no plan for that,” he told the Commons.

“Let me spell that out – a poorly-paid care worker will pay more tax for the care that they are providing without a penny more in their pay packet and without a secure contract.”

Labour’s deputy leader Angela Rayner tweeted: “This is not a plan to fix social care. Describing it as such is an insult to everyone who works in social care and everyone who relies on social care.”

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Luis Piovesana: Family ‘devastated’ after body found in search for brother of judo Olympian

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Luis Piovesana: Family 'devastated' after body found in search for brother of judo Olympian

A judo Olympian has said her family is “devastated” after the discovery of body in the search for her missing brother.

Lubjana Piovesana, 28, appealed for help to find her younger sibling, Luis, 26, on Saturday. He had not been seen since the early hours of Friday morning.

A body was found in the River Frome near Napier Road in Eastville, Bristol, at around 6pm today, Avon and Somerset Police said.

Formal identification is yet to take place, the force added.

In a post on Instagram, Ms Piovesana wrote: “Hello everyone, Luis has been found.

“We are completely devastated but he has passed away.

“I am grateful for everyone’s support. And I am so sorry this happened.

“Luis was my little brother and loved by everyone. I wish he could have seen the love from everyone. He will be remembered by us all.”

The post was signed off with a dove emoji.

Pics: Avon & Somerset Police
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Luis Piovesana did not have any money or his mobile phone with him when he went missing, police said. Pics: Avon & Somerset Police

Mr Piovesana was last seen at around 3am on Friday at the Eastgate retail park, which is less than a 10-minute walk away from where the body was found.

He had travelled there by taxi from a venue in Little Ann Street, St Jude’s, a 10-minute drive away.

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The 26-year-old’s family spent the weekend searching for him, and asked people to check their sheds and gardens.

His partner, Laurin Bohler, said loved ones had travelled from Birmingham to help.

Mounted officers and police drones were also involved in the investigation.

Ms Piovesana competed for Team GB before switching to the Austrian team, and defeated British competitor Lucy Renshall in the women’s -63kg judo event at the Paris Olympics last year.

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Sophie Evans: Man jailed for life for murdering son’s girlfriend after school run

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Sophie Evans: Man jailed for life for murdering son's girlfriend after school run

A man has been jailed for life for murdering his son’s girlfriend after she returned home from the school run.

Officers from Dyfed-Powys Police were called to an address on Bigyn Road in Llanelli, Carmarthenshire, on 5 July last year.

Sophie Evans, 30, had sustained 72 separate injuries on the outside of the body, “all but three of them new injuries”.

Richard Jones, who is now 50, believed he was “being taken advantage of financially” by Ms Evans and his son, with whom she was in a relationship.

While the purpose of Jones’s visit was “purely normal”, he confronted her on that morning about his suspicions and Ms Evans’s reaction was such that Jones “lost [his] temper”.

He subjected Ms Evans to “gross violence” before ultimately strangling her and leaving the property to run errands, including ordering a new bank card and buying pastries from a bakery.

Richard Jones. Pic: Dyfed-Powys Police
Image:
Richard Jones. Pic: Dyfed-Powys Police

‘Last time on their school run’

During sentencing on Monday, the defendant kept his head bowed for most of the hearing.

He will have to serve at least 20 years behind bars before he can be considered for release by the parole board.

Swansea Crown Court heard Ms Evans was the mother of two young children.

Passing his sentence, Judge Geraint Walters said Ms Evans “had just taken her two children for the last time on their school run” prior to the attack.

“She wasn’t to know that when she parted company with them that morning,” he added.

The court heard the Jones believed he was being defrauded by Ms Evans and his son.

“There is clear evidence, that in the days leading up to this, that you had begun harbouring thoughts that Sophie Evans and your own son were in fact financially scamming you,” he said.

“What precisely brought about that view is difficult to determine.”

Judge Walters said Jones “lost [his] temper when [he] didn’t get the answer that [he] thought [he] deserved”.

He added that, having lost his temper, the defendant “subjected [Ms Evans] to gross violence over a period of time, before you ultimately extinguished her life by strangulation”.

The court was told in evidence that at the time of the attack, Ms Evans was wearing only a bath towel.

‘The rock of our family’

In a victim personal statement, Ms Evans’s sister Kerry Quinlan told the court she was “the rock of our family”.

She said Ms Evans was taken from them in a “senseless and cruel act”.

“Words cannot express fully how much of a loss this has been to her children,” she added.

“When they cry themselves to sleep wanting their mum, she isn’t there and never will be.”

Ms Quinlan added that Jones had “taken everything from us, all in the most despicable way possible”.

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Ms Evans’s partner at the time, and the defendant’s son, Jamie Davies, said in a victim personal statement, read on his behalf, that they had both “trusted” Jones, and that Ms Evans had even been planning the defendant’s 50th birthday.

“The thought of having to live my life without Sophie causes me extreme pain and heartache,” he added.

Prosecuting, Michael Jones KC said the offence was aggravated by the defendant’s previous convictions and the fact Ms Evans was murdered in her home.

In mitigation, David Elias KC said there was a “lack of premeditation”.

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Third man charged with murder over house fire in Bradford that killed mother and her three children

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Third man charged with murder over house fire in Bradford that killed mother and her three children

A third man has been charged with murder over a house fire that killed a mother and her three children in Bradford last year.

Bryonie Gawith, 29, Denisty Birtle, nine, Oscar Birtle, five, and 22-month-old Aubree Birtle were killed in the fire on 21 August 2024.

Sharaz Ali, 39, from Bradford, has been charged with four counts of murder and one count of attempted murder.

He will appear at Bradford Magistrates Court today.

Two other men, Mohammed Shabir, 44, and Calum Sunderland, 25, both of Keighley, are due to go on trial next week after pleading not guilty to murdering Ms Gawith and the three children, and attempting to murder Ms Gawith’s sister, Antonia.

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The children’s father Jonathan said at the time he was “absolutely distraught” by the “sudden loss” of his fiancee and “three beautiful children”.

“Bryonie and I were together for a long time, and we had a good life together. She was a beautiful woman and a loving mother to Oscar, Aubree and Denisty,” he said.

“I loved them with all my heart and if I had the chance, I would take their place in a heartbeat. I cannot imagine life without them.”

A family statement added: “Our B (Ms Gawith) was the life and soul of the party, music was a big part of her life, she loved music, singing and dancing, she would always be singing and dancing with Chuch (Denisty), Oggy (Oscar) and Strawberry (Aubree).

“B was always a really happy, joyful, bubbly beautiful woman, who cared for everyone and was loved by everyone, her kids were everything to her, her whole life.

“Oggy had the cheekiest smile, he was cheeky but he was a shy boy, Strawbs was shy and bashful with big blue eyes and blonde hair and Chuch was a beautiful, confident, outgoing and creative young girl.

“We are still trying to comprehend what has happened to our beautiful family. No words can describe how we are feeling and no words could ever make up for the profound loss we are now faced with.”

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