ELDERLY and disabled people in Northumberland are facing potentially massive increases in what they pay for their social care under council plans to scrap an upper limit on charges.
The proposal – which involves removing the current maximum weekly charge of £120 for home and day care – could in theory mean at least one person facing an annual bill of almost £40,000.
And some people will definitely see their weekly charge go up from £120 to more than £400 – almost £20,000 a year – under the move.
County councillors will decide this week whether to press ahead with removing the £120 weekly cap, which social services officials say will generate an extra £400,000 a year and help make the wider adult care service more sustainable.
About 590 elderly, disabled or ill people have been assessed as able to pay the current maximum charge because of their income or savings, or because they haven’t provided full details.
A report to the council this week says the full weekly cost of providing care to these people ranges from £7 to £820. Removing the £120 cap on charges would mean someone whose care costs £820 a week facing an annual charge of more than £39,000 compared with the current £5,760.
The report says: “Only 2% of those affected would be required to pay more than £400 a week.” That equates to around 12 people. Yesterday Conservative leader Peter Jackson said his group would strongly oppose the move to unlimited charges for home and day care, claiming some people would be “absolutely crucified” by the increases.
“We have consistently been opposed to having no upper limit on charges for home care, because we are dealing with some of the most vulnerable people in our society,” he said.
“This report shows in some detail that the lifting of the £120 weekly cap will adversely affect about 590 people in Northumberland. The impact will be hardest felt by those most in need of care.
“It is also penalising elderly people who have saved and been thrifty for most of their working lives. We believe a weekly cap on charges must stay, because it is the unlimited nature of this that worries people.”
Labour group leader Grant Davey said: “We opposed raising the maximum charge last year and we will oppose it again this time, because it’s the wrong thing to do.” Executive member for adult care and wellbeing, Ian Lindley, has claimed the people who will be affected by the removal of the cap have been assessed as being able to pay the actual cost of their care.
A council spokeswoman admitted the move would mean some people having to pay the full cost of the care they receive.
“The proposal to remove the current ceiling of £120 a week on charges for non-residential social care for adults will be discussed by council on February 22,” she said. “This proposal will affect those people who are assessed as having sufficient funds to meet the full cost of service.
“There are currently 590 people assessed as being able to pay the maximum charge for services. However, the current average full weekly cost of services for these people is £117. Only 2% of those affected would be required to pay more than £400.”
