Andy Burnham has hinted the frozen £12,570 Income Tax personal allowance could come under review after revealing it was one of the biggest issues raised by voters during the recent Makerfield by-election.
While Burnham stopped well short of announcing any tax changes, he suggested the long-running freeze in Income Tax thresholds is firmly on his radar as he prepares to unveil plans aimed at giving households more "breathing space" amid the ongoing cost-of-living pressures.
Speaking to The Times before formally taking office, Burnham said the freeze in Income Tax thresholds was "the thing I heard the most on the doorsteps", adding that the issue was "lodged in my mind".
The comments have prompted speculation the Government could look again at the £12,570 personal allowance - the amount most people can earn before paying Income Tax - which has been frozen since 2022 and is currently due to remain at that level until 2031.
However, Burnham did not say the personal allowance would increase, nor did he announce any plans to change Income Tax thresholds. Any decision would require the Government to bring forward tax policy at a future fiscal event.
Alzheimer's battle behind Burnham's social care pledge
Alongside tackling living costs, Burnham has pledged to make reforming England's social care system one of the defining missions of his premiership.
The issue is deeply personal.
His father, Roy, has Alzheimer's disease and now lives in a care home.
Burnham revealed his father does not know that his son is about to become Prime Minister.
"That's a sadness because he would be," Burnham said when asked whether his father would be proud.
"The way I look at it, it's his achievement as well. A whole family achievement although he doesn't know it."
He said the family recently spent time together visiting his father.
"We were at his care home. My two brothers were there, my mum was there. So, all five of us together, which was a nice thing."
'The system is broken'
Burnham said his family's experience has strengthened his determination to overhaul adult social care.
"I've got personal experience of the system. My dad has Alzheimer's and you see what the staff have to put up with. It's not their fault. The system's broken.
"You can't leave social care like this."
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He argued the NHS cannot recover fully while hospitals continue to struggle because social care is failing to support vulnerable people.
"The NHS won't get back to where it needs to be when you have a broken social care system that can't keep people out of hospital."
Burnham has promised to spend political capital on delivering long-awaited reforms, saying previous governments have repeatedly delayed difficult decisions.
"I will expend political capital on bringing forward a plan to fix social care, and I'm not going to waste time because every time that we waste another year, thousands and thousands more people don't get the care that they need."
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