National Insurance: Charity Sector Debate

Full Debate: Read Full Debate
Department: Cabinet Office

National Insurance: Charity Sector

Lord Scriven Excerpts
Monday 13th January 2025

(2 days, 10 hours ago)

Lords Chamber
Read Full debate Read Hansard Text Watch Debate Read Debate Ministerial Extracts
Baroness Twycross Portrait Baroness Twycross (Lab)
- View Speech - Hansard - - - Excerpts

My noble friend makes an important point. I have not personally received an apology. I would not necessarily expect such an apology to come to me; I would expect it to be made to the nation.

Lord Scriven Portrait Lord Scriven (LD)
- View Speech - Hansard - -

My Lords, in the middle of this political shenanigans going on, the average hospice in this country will be hit by a £200,000 funding gap based on the Government’s national insurance contribution rise. What advice would the Minister give to managers of hospices who are now looking at either laying off staff or reducing services?

Baroness Twycross Portrait Baroness Twycross (Lab)
- View Speech - Hansard - - - Excerpts

The noble Lord will be well aware of the Secretary of State for Health’s commitment to hospices, including supporting the hospice sector with a £100 million boost for adult and children’s hospices to ensure they have the best physical environment for care and £26 million to support children and young people’s hospices. I am not playing down how hard it is going to be for organisations to find the additional revenue, but not all organisations will find that their NICs bill increases.