What have the Lib Dems announced so far? Impact on your money explained (2024)

The Liberal Democrats have made a range of announcements that could affect your finances if they won the general election on 4 July - or if they were to become part of a coalition government.

These include what they would do with the state pension triple lock, and offering free personal care for older people and disabled adults.

The Liberal Democrats currently sit fourth in the polls behind the Reform Party.

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The Lib Dems, led by Sir Ed Davey, had 15 MPs in the House of Commons before parliament was dissolved on 30 May.

Daisy Cooper is the deputy leader, while Sarah Olney is the Treasury spokesperson. The party says it has more than 90,000 members.

The Libs Dems were last in power as part of the David Cameron - Nick Clegg coalition, following the resignation of Prime Minister Gordon Brown in 2010. The coalition continued until the 2015 election, when Cameron won a single-party Conservative government.

The Liberal Democrats are campaigning to win a “fair deal” for Great Britain - for example, a fair and innovative economy, fair access to public services and a fair democracy.

Olney has also been vocal about how homeowners have been hit with a “mortgage bombshell”, thanks to Rishi Sunak’s government.

Last month she said: “This Conservative government crashed the economy and now they are condemning families to a £9 billion mortgage bombshell.” This is the total amount homeowners have seen their mortgage payments rise due to soaring interest rates, according to Lib Dem analysis.

While the Lib Dems have not released their manifesto yet, they have already made a number of pledges about what they would do if they formed the next government.

If you’re more interested in Labour or the Tories, take a look at our articles on what a potential Labour government could mean for your money, and what a Conservative win could mean for your finances.

Free personal care for adults at home

The Liberal Democrats say they would offer free personal care to older or disabled people at home.

They would also raise care workers’ pay, by introducing a carer's minimum wage, at £2 above the standard minimum wage.

Davey says this would end the hospital crisis and help people stay in their own homes.

The plans would be funded by reversing tax cuts given to big banks by the Conservatives, covering the estimated £2.7 billion cost by 2028-29.

Davey, who is a carer for his disabled son and previously cared for his sick mother, said the issue was "deeply personal".

He told the BBC: "I want the party to be the voice of carers, partly because I've been a carer most of my life."

Plans to reform the way people pay for care in England have been repeatedly delayed or watered down by the Tory government. Critics say the social care system is long overdue for an overhaul.

In England, only people with an income and assets under £23,250 get help with the costs of care at home or in residential and nursing homes, making it the least generous system in the UK.

In Wales, the point at which people have to pay the full cost of care has nearly doubled since 2016, rising to £50,000.

An £86,000 cap on the amount anyone in England has to spend on their personal care over their lifetime had been due to take effect from October 2023, but was delayed by two years.

The Lib Dems would introduce free personal care – a similar system to the one operating in Scotland.

It would cover costs like nursing care and daily support, including hygiene and medication, for older and disabled people with high needs.

However, those needing residential care would have to contribute towards their accommodation.

State pension triple lock

The Lib Dems claim to have been the first UK party to commit to protecting the state pension triple lock, announcing last September that it would keep the policy.

The party said: “We are proud we are the ones who brought in the triple lock, lifting thousands of vulnerable pensioners out of poverty. And we are proud to be the first UK party to commit to keeping it in future.”

The triple lock dictates that the state pension rises every April in line with inflation, average earnings or by 2.5% – whichever is higher.

In April this year, the state pension increased by 8.5% (in line with wage growth).

However, there has been uncertainty over whether future governments would continue with the triple lock. Critics warn it is becoming unsustainable as costs surge, while it potentially causes intergenerational unfairness.

Labour and the Tories have promised to keep the triple lock, and last month the Conservatives went a step further by announcing “triple lock plus”, which would also raise the tax-free personal allowance for pensioners.

Hundreds of thousands of pensioners have recently been dragged into the income tax net due to the soaring state pension.

More GPs

The Liberal Democrats have pledged to recruit 8,000 more GPs if elected. Davey said the investment would create an extra 65 million appointments a year by the end of the next parliament.

The policy is part of a five-year plan aimed at fulfilling the party’s long-standing ambition to ensure patients can see a medical practitioner within seven days.

More Premier League games on free TV

Football fans’ finances could be boosted if the Lib Dems came into power and fulfilled their pledge of making 10 English Premier League football matches per season free to watch on TV for everyone.

The party said the promise was in response to rising ticket prices and streaming subscription costs.

They argue that fans who want to watch games on TV may have to pay hundreds of pounds a year as games are split across different streaming platforms such as Sky Sports, TNT Sports and Amazon Prime Video.

The Lib Dems said its manifesto would promise to put 10 Premier League games back on free-to-air channels like the BBC and ITV, as well as 10 games from the Scottish Championship and 20 games from the English Football League.

What have the Lib Dems announced so far? Impact on your money explained (2024)

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