September 9, 2021 11.13 am This story is over 29 months old

All Lincolnshire MPs vote in favour of National Insurance hike

The proposals have been heavily criticised for alienating the working class

By Local Democracy Reporter

All ten Greater Lincolnshire MPs have voted to pass a new health and social care tax which will increase National Insurance payments to aid NHS recovery post-COVID.

Parliament voted on the Health and Social Care Levy on Wednesday, September 8, which seeked to introduce an extra tax to fund social care in England and help the NHS recover from the COVID-19 pandemic.

The plans would see employees, employers and the self-employed pay 1.25% more for National Insurance from April 2022, with employees paying NI on wages, employers paying extra for staff and the self-employed paying NI on profits.

People who earn below £9,564 don’t have to pay National Insurance and won’t have to contribute to the new levy, and it will then become its own separate tax on earned income from 2023.

The plans have come under scrutiny and the government has been accused of making it unfair for people on lower incomes, as well as the younger generation.

At the moment, workers pay 12% NI on earnings up to £50,268, but anything above that amount demands a rate of just 2%, meaning the more you earn, the lower the proportion of National Insurance is.

In total, 317 MPs, all Conservative, voted in favour of the motion, while 248, of whom five were Conservatives, voted against the move.

All ten of Greater Lincolnshire’s MPs, seven in Lincolnshire and three in the Humberside region, supported the tax, leaning on the side of their party as the bill was passed through parliament.

They are:

  • Victoria Atkins, Louth and Horncastle – Conservative
  • Gareth Davies, Grantham and Stamford – Conservative
  • Rt Hon Sir John Hayes, South Holland and The Deepings – Conservative
  • Dr Caroline Johnson, Sleaford and North Hykeham – Conservative
  • Rt Hon Sir Edward Leigh, Gainsborough – Conservative
  • Karl McCartney, Lincoln – Conservative
  • Matt Warman, Boston and Skegness – Conservative
  • Martin Vickers, Cleethorpes – Conservative
  • Lia Nici, Great Grimsby – Conservative
  • Holly Mumby-Croft, Scunthorpe – Conservative

The ultimate long-term aim of the tax increase is to raise £12 billion a year, which will initially go towards the NHS, before a percentage is moved into the social care system to help with people who require high levels of care.

From October 2023, it is hoped that people in England will pay no more than £86,000 in care costs, excluding accommodation and food.


Read more: What’s the new Health and Social Care tax and how will it affect me? (BBC)