Prime Minister Boris Johnson is set to return to Parliament this week with a packed agenda.
The House of Commons commenced again on Monday after it was adjourned in June for the summer recess.
And a string of major announcements could come this week as Westminster grinds into action, the Mirror reports.
Some of the topics likely to be addressed include social care and potential tax rises, along with a Cabinet reshuffle.
Parliament is also expected to address ongoing concerns related to the pandemic including vaccine passports and jabs for under-16s and NHS workers.
Here are some of the major announcements the government could make this week:
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A tax hike to pay for social care
Boris Johnson is facing a growing Tory backlash over his reported plans to hike National Insurance to fund the changes to the social care system in England.
Critics warned changes that would benefit elderly homeowners in the affluent South East at the expense of working families would undermine the government’s “levelling up” agenda.
With an announcement expected as early as Tuesday, Downing Street has remained tight-lipped over the details of the plan - which has been thrashed out by Mr Johnson, Chancellor Rishi Sunak and Health Secretary Sajid Javid.
“We are committed to setting out long-term sustainable reform of the sector and that is what we will do, but beyond that I am not going to be getting into any more speculation,” the Prime Minister’s official spokesman said.
“The challenges that face the social care sector are long-standing and have successively not been addressed, and that is something the Prime Minister is committed to doing.”
The 2019 Tory manifesto contained a guarantee from Mr Johnson not to raise income tax, VAT or National Insurance.
But the PM is also under pressure to deliver on the promise he made on the steps of Downing Street that year, when he claimed he had a plan to fix the struggling sector.
He is reportedly preparing to announce a hike of 1.25 per cent to NI to raise around £10bn a year, with a £80,000 cap on lifetime contributions to care.
Changes to the pensions triple lock
In another move that would be in breach of the 2019 manifesto, Chancellor Rishi Sunak is poised to temporarily scrap the triple lock on pensions for some 12.3 million Brits.
Treasury Committee chairman, Mel Stride, suggested that the wages measure used to calculate the triple lock should be temporarily suspended – meaning it would be replaced with a double lock.
The pensions promise guarantees that the state pension will increase in line with inflation, earnings or 2.5pc, whichever is higher.
But distortions to wages during the coronavirus crisis could mean pensioners receive a rise of as much as 8pc – an extra £3 billion – while many workers have been dealing with job losses, salary cuts and pay freezes in the tough economy.
This announcement could also come as soon as Tuesday.
A long-awaited Cabinet reshuffle
Mr Johnson could overhaul his top team as soon as this week.
Rumours have been spreading in Westminster that the long-awaited Cabinet reshuffle could take place within days as advisors were told to block out their diaries at the end of the week, according to the Mail on Sunday.
The reports come as the PM has not shaken up his team for more than 18 months.
Ministers in the firing line are said to include Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab and Education Secretary Gavin Williamson.
Extending Covid vaccines to all 12 to 15-year-olds
A decision on whether to extend the vaccine rollout to all 12 to 15-year-olds is expected to come this week too.
The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) recommended against Covid vaccines for healthy under-16s last week, as they said it would have marginal benefit as children were at low risk from Covid-19.
However the UK's chief medical officers will have the final say, who are expected to come back before Friday.
The top medics will consider the JCVI advice as well as the wider issues, such as disruption to schooling and whether vaccinating kids could protect their more vulnerable relatives.
Whitehall sources said ministers would then "press the button" on the NHS roll-out as quickly as possible, with jabs to happen in schools.
Jabs could be required for NHS staff
Health Secretary Sajid Javid is said to be pressing ahead with plans to require all NHS staff to get vaccinated.
A long-promised consultation could be launched this week on the issue, which the government believes could prevent the spread of Covid in healthcare settings.
Ministers have already said all care home staff will need to be vaccinated from November 11 to protect vulnerable residents.
But Unison has warned that the "no jab, no job" policy could cause a workforce crisis that could overwhelm the struggling care sector.
