I had a think about this last night and even had a chat with my GF (I know, rivetting comnversation as ever, I decided not to tell her is was a STW thread…) and have come up with this:
How about we have a system in place where by we each pay a percentage of our earnings each month (or week) into a pot to fund the care? That way the high earner pay more (they can afford to) and the lower earners pay less. This also means that if you’ve skrimped and saved to buy your house and/or have some money in your savings account then you still keep that and are not punished for being careful with your money. It would mean we all receive a good level of care and that no one is left without.
Yes, it may mean an increase in income tax but I think it could work. The higher earners would pay substantially more to help make up for the shortfall paid by the lower earners.
I would suggest setting it at a fixed rate for everyone but I think I might be pushing my luck…