A WORCESTER husband who provides round-the-clock care for his disabled wife has been told their respite funding has been halved.

Jacqueline Greenaway, aged 40, spends four weeks of the year at Helen Ley House – a specialist care centre for people with multiple sclerosis in Leamington Spa.

Her stay there costs £1,000 a week and has previously been funded by Worcestershire County Council.

The rest of the time her husband Richard is her full-time carer, except for four hours a week when a carer arrives to allow him time away from the house.

However, the Warndon couple have now been told that their funding will be reduced to £513 a week, leaving them to make up the £2,000 difference.

Mrs Greenaway needs constant help to bathe, dress and feed herself.

Mr Greenaway, aged 47, said: “Respite care means Jacqui gets a break from me and I from her. It is somewhere for her to go and meet people who are in the same position as her.

“I look after her full-time and look forward to the respite weeks.

"It was a shock when I read the letter saying I would only get £513.”

Mr Greenaway and many others like him save the UK an estimated £87 billion a year by caring for their loved ones at home.

Luckily for Mr Greenaway, the MS Society has provided the shortfall for the next round of respite and his brother has helped with the cost in July, but he knows he must start saving now if he is to afford it by himself in the future.

He believes the council has reduced the couple’s funding to save money. and he says many carers will struggle to meet the cost.

Worcestershire County Council declined to say why the Greenaways’ funding had been reduced, saying it could not comment on individual cases.

In a statement it said: “The need for respite is agreed on a case-by-case basis after an assessment of the person needing support and the carer.

“Respite can be arranged by the adult social care (ASC) team, although in some cases people prefer to make the arrangement themselves and receive a direct payment from the county council.

"Respite is funded from our ASC base budget. It is not grant-aided nor on any current BOLD project [the council’s cuts programme].

“People do make a financial contribution towards the cost of the respite which is based on a financial assessment, again on a case-by-case basis.”

A spokesman for the Worcestershire Association of Carers said it was “acutely aware” of the effects of the cuts on people like Mr Greenaway.

“Carers will inevitably be affected by changes in the services to the people they look after.

"We are monitoring the effects of these changes and are keen to hear from carers.”

To make matters worse, Mr Greenaway feels the council wants to make his wife take her respite nearer home as it is cheaper.

The council has suggested two nursing homes in Worcestershire, but Mr Greenaway is keen that she continues to attend Helen Ley House, despite the possibility of it closing later this year, not least because at one of the homes she would be confined to bed all day.

A council spokesman said: “The MS Society provides the provision in Leamington Spa and they have announced that it is likely to close later this year.

"Therefore options need to be considered for all who use it to ensure they continue to receive the best possible services appropriate for their needs.

“It is inappropriate for us to comment on individual cases but we understand and are sympathetic to Mr Greenaway’s concerns.”