East Renfrewshire considers £20/hour charge for some social care. Residents are concerned about the impact on vulnerable people.
But, this decision isn’t final. All councillors will debate it again at a meeting set for February 26th. An independent councillor is advocating for a change to the proposed charges.
Around 500 residents could be affected by the new non-residential care service charges. Many are upset about the plan’s potential impact on elderly and disabled people. A petition urging the council to drop the plan has already garnered 1,000 signatures.
These charges won’t apply to personal care. Instead, they cover services such as shopping help, community support, and day programs. The proposal is causing significant worry for some local families.
The councillor who opposes the changes fears people will get less care and become more isolated. She believes the council has sufficient funds, citing a recent surplus of £2.14 million. A final decision was postponed in December to await the Scottish budget.
Assessments will be conducted to determine what individuals can afford, including setting a limit on their payments. The councillors have chosen a 40% limit, which should bring in almost £1 million annually. The start date for the charges was also moved to July 1st.
Another councillor has expressed anger about the decision, calling it rushed and in need of more thought. He believes people deserve answers and that this will hurt the vulnerable. He feels the council chose poorly, diverting money from needed services during a cost-of-living crisis, further stressing those relying on non-residential care.
East Renfrewshire is the last area in its region to implement these charges; only one area will have a lower limit. The leader expressed regret for having to take such actions, citing government underfunding.
He notes that other areas have been charging for years, with their average limit much higher. The local limit was lowered from 60% to 40% for local people.
The care partnership understands the public’s concerns and aims to minimize any negative effects. They explained that they avoided these charges for as long as possible, but now face substantial financial challenges.