THE cost of sending a vulnerable person to a day centre in Worcestershire could rise by 1,313 per cent.

The price of getting home help, transport and eating meals on wheels could also be set to soar as cash-strapped Worcestershire County Council considers withdrawing its subsidy support for adult social care services.

Council chiefs think it will save £2.5 million – but it will mean that some vulnerable adults will have to find up to and beyond £100 extra a week if they want to maintain what they already get.

The biggest shock will come to those who use day centres. They currently pay £4.60 a day but if the subsidy is withdrawn for that, the cost will rocket to £65.

That in turn could put the future of day centres in doubt as the number of people willing and able to pay that amount will almost certainly be low.

Meanwhile, home care costs will go from £12.04 per hour to £20.60 – a rise of 71 per cent.

Brian Hunt, vice chairman of Worcestershire Pensioner’s Action Group, called the proposed increase in costs “financial euthanasia”.

“I think it’s a disgrace and absolutely over the top,” said Mr Hunt. “No way can they justify these increases or imagine that anybody can possibly find that additional money.”

John Bradley, treasurer of the Friends of Pershore Day Centre, which his son Mark has used for many years, said: “It’s just absurd, especially at a time when councillors have just voted not to take a cut in allowances even though staff are doing it. It’s a bit rich.”

While 2,024 people who receive non-residential services will not be affected because they have already been assessed as being unable to contribute funds or are paying the most they can, about 1,400 people will be made to pay more than they currently do.

Withdrawing subsidy support will put service users under serious financial pressure but the county council thinks it will make users take up the offer of organising personalised budgets instead. That allows people who have been assessed to spend a lump sum of money how they like and on what they like to meet their needs.

Councillor Philip Gretton, cabinet member for adult and community services, said with the council needing to save more than £60 million, possibly more, by 2015, ways of saving significant amounts of money need to be looked at.

He said: “We know that if the proposed changes come into force it would mean some service users paying more for their care, but only those whose financial circumstances dictate they can afford to pay more would be affected; the majority of services users’ charges would remain the same.”

Meanwhile, traditional payment methods of cheques, cash and post office cards could be phased out by the end of March 2012.

The council wants people to pay by direct debit because it is the cheapest way to process payments.

A consultation on that and the proposed withdrawal of subsidy support will now take place with groups, organisations and the people who may be affected.

• Your Worcester News was the only member of the media to attend this meeting.