Wokingham's MP says National Insurance increase on local GPs and social care is "unacceptable"

In a Parliamentary Debate on the employer’s national insurance contribution increase, Clive Jones MP named Twyford-based social care provider Home Instead Maidenhead, Henley & Wallingford and Twyford GP practice as examples of important businesses that may have to reduce services as a result of the Government’s autumn budget. 

Paul and Melissa Johnson, Directors of Home Instead, had written to Clive Jones MP to share that the NI increase for their business will be £45,000 per year, based on their current payroll. They also shared that one provider of adult social care believes they will not be in a financial position to continue trading, which could impact more than 100 elderly clients across Wokingham. 

Twyford GP surgery are predicted to have a 4% reduction in their funding, which could potentially impact the services that they are able to offer. While the NHS will be compensated for the cost of the tax increase, this support is not available to GPs, which will lead to greater pressures on Wokingham’s local health services. 

Following the debate, Clive Jones MP said: 

“This is an unfair jobs tax that will hit small businesses, social care providers and GPs, and it is coming at the worst time imaginable. Thousands of care providers across the country are already on the brink of bankruptcy and our GPs are pressed to their absolute limits and there simply aren’t enough of them. 

”That is why I am calling on the Government to exempt social care providers and GPs from the employers’ National Insurance tax rise, to stop any potential reduction in services that my constituents thoroughly deserve. 

“The Government are doing the wrong thing. They could have raised that amount of money through much fairer taxes against big banks, social media giants and online gambling companies – rather than a tax rise that will be passed on to people’s salaries. 

“I encourage my constituents to email me (Clive.Jones.MP@parliament.uk) about the impacts of the Government’s budget so that I can raise their case to Ministers and press them for action.”