Debate over care charges reaches its final days (From Worcester News)

Debate over care charges reaches its final days

AS Warwickshire County Council brings to a close a public consultation on proposals to increase charges for adult social care, one Alcester resident has spoken out against the charges being implemented.

Currently residents in Warwickshire can expect to pay £9.66 per hour for home care, and the council is proposing to raise that charge to £16.50.

Alastair Williams has recently moved to Alcester and now has to pay for his adult social care. He feels strongly that charges shouldn't be applied.

He said: "I'm disabled. I use a wheelchair and I'm in chronic pain because I've got over 30 tumours on my spinal cord. Because I live in Warwickshire they're expecting me to pay for part of my care. I don't see why I should pay for it depending on which county I live in.

"Warwickshire County Council are taking money off the disabled. I still received it until recently, I got 13 hours a week, seven for regular care and six for social care. I had what they call an independent living allowance and they weren't asking for money. Now my social worker has actually turned into a person going around collecting money.

"When I was working it was me that was paying for these services through wages. I begrudge living in a post code lottery."

As part of the consultation process, more than 6,000 people who use the current services, have been written to, while 21 meetings have been held throughout the county with the public, group representing those who use the services, and carers.

Conservative councillor, Mike Gittus said: "All we're doing here in Warwickshire county is bringing ourselves into line with what other counties have been doing all around us. We're on record as being very generous with our social care, and certainly if we were in Oxfordshire or Worcestershire the charges there have always been substantially higher, because the subsidies from the councils have always been a lot less.

"Home care in Warwickshire is currently charged at £9.66 per hour, but the actual cost is £16.45 to the county purse. In Oxfordshire that charge is between £17.77 and £22.80, in Coventry it's £14.90, in Birmingham it's £16.40.

"It could well be that an overall national guideline would be a good thing, but it's almost the 'better the devil you know'. It could be horrific, if we considered the national figure and it was higher."

To take part in the debate over care charges visit www.warwickshire.gov.uk/socialcarecharges, pick up a leaflet available in local libraries and many doctor's surgeries, email customerfirst@warwickshire.gov.uk or call 01926 418661.

The consultation comes to an end on Friday, September 17.