Agenda item

The Executive Board Member considered a report detailing the proposed level of charges for home care and other non-residential social services for 2018/19.  Appendix 1 to the report detailed the existing charges for 2017/18 and the proposed charges for 2018/19.

The Senior Business Support Manager advised that the majority of charges would be increased in line with the Authority’s budget expectations with the exception of the Telecare charge.  The Telecare charge would remain unchanged as the charge for any service cannot be greater than it costs to deliver it and as the Telecare service was currently undergoing significant change, as soon as this was complete the charge would be reviewed again for future years.

With regard to Home Care and other Non-Residential Social Services it was noted that Authorities still have discretion to decide whether to charge for services, to decide how much to charge for services and which services should have a charge.  There was still a maximum charge that any service user can pay and for 2018/19 the maximum charge is £80 per week excluding any charges which substitute for ordinary daily living costs such as meals and laundry.  It was proposed to continue to apply the new maximum charge as announced by Welsh Government.

Service users receiving Non-Residential Social Services would require a reassessment of their financial circumstances as a result of Department for Work and Pensions pension changes in April 2018.  Under the Act the service users still have to be notified of their charge or any changes to their charge before an invoice can be sent out but the charge can and will apply from the date financial circumstances change and/or the first day of service.  The outcome of the Financial Reassessment would therefore be applied from the 9^th April, 2018, being the date DWP pension changes apply from.

In accordance with the Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014 respite care was considered a short term service and accordingly service users accessing respite are entitled to a financial assessment under the Non-Residential Charging rules.  As a result, service users will not pay more than £80 per week for the service, many will pay a lot less or have a free service.  For 2018/19 it was proposed to charge the full cost of the placement with the financial assessment ensuring no one pays more than they can afford.  The Financial Assessment will be in accordance with the Act, Regulations, Code of Practice and subject to a maximum charge of £80 per week. 

With regard to services considered as an ordinary daily living cost, these charges would be flat rate charges and not subject to a financial assessment and therefore would be charged in addition to a means tested charge for the services detailed above.  The services which fall under this category are as follows:-

-         hot meals at home (Meals on Wheels) and in day facilities and frozen meals at home (Meals on Wheels) - £4.70 per meal (an increase of 40p in line     with the decision made by Council on 23^rd February, 2016);

-   laundry £2.40 per load (an increase of 5p)

In order to assist in meeting current levels of demand for services, it was

RESOLVED

3.1     that the proposed increases in social services charges for           2018/19, as set out in the summary of charges detailed in the           report, be approved with effect from 9^th April, 2018;

3.2     that the capital thresholds applied to the Non Residential Social           Services Financial Assessment will be those announced by           Welsh Government;

3.3     that the maximum weekly charge of £80 per week for Non           Residential Social Services for Adults announced by Welsh           Government be applied from 9^th April, 2018 and that the maximum           charge continues to be in line with future announcements by           Welsh Government as they occur.