Theresa May’s lead slips by 5% after Tory ‘dementia tax’ manifesto pledge to make more elderly people pay for care

THE Conservative Party's huge lead over Labour has narrowed by five points to 12 per cent amid strong opposition to her so-called “dementia tax” bombshell revealed in her manifesto.

Theresa May claims making people fund care by paying after death is more fair - but top Tory figures fear “stealth tax” could eat into their vote.

As reported by the Sun, Mrs May will make major changes to social care by asking wealthier OAPs to pay more.

On Thursday she announced pensioners would pay for residential care or help in their own home from their homes, with their last £100,000 protected.

To fund the shake-up, the Conservatives will end winter fuel payments for those who can afford to pay it.

The £2 billion-a-year benefit will now be means-tested – in a victory for the Sun’s ‘Ditch Handouts for the Rich’ campaign.

But according to the latest Survation poll 47 per cent oppose Mrs May’s social care funding plans, with 28 per cent in favour.

And overall the Tories are now on 46 per cent, Labour on 34 and the Lib Dems on eight.

A separate poll from YouGov put the Tories on 44 per cent and Labour on 35 per cent - just a nine point gap.

Last week the average Tory poll lead was 17.

Today Tory Work and Pensions Secretary Damian Green said the party would not rethink the plans to fund social care in England.

He said: "We have set out this policy, which we are not going to look at again."

But he did say there would be a consultation on the proposals.

One candidate standing for re-election said that it could be a disaster, reported The Times.

They said: "This plan was coming up on the doorstep this morning and there has not even yet been much coverage it.

"It is very hard to justify, because people with a house of £300,000 could have a liability now of £200,000.

"I thought the campaign was just right until this yesterday".

A former cabinet minister admitted that they were resorting to telling constituents that the plan was likely to be refined before it was put into practice, even though they had no knowledge that would happen.

Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt said on Thursday the shake-up meant everyone would know they can pass on £100,000 to their children.

The Tory said: “You could have a situation where someone who owns a house worth £1 million or £2 million, and has expensive care costs of perhaps £100,000 or £200,000, ends up not having to pay those care costs because they are capped.

“And those costs get borne by taxpayers and we don’t think that’s fair on different generations.”

The Demos think tank said that “hundreds of thousands of the poorest older people” will benefit from the shake-up.

But Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn branded it a “tax on dementia” given those who need long-term care could now run up mammoth bills.