People in Wales who receive homecare and other non-residential social services will pay a maximum charge of £50 a week for these services from 11 April 2011 following the introduction of a landmark Welsh law, the Deputy Minister for Social Services, Gwenda Thomas, announced today.
In Wales, more than 66,000 older and disabled people receive community based social services – such as homecare, day care and other non-residential services – each year. Approximately 14,000 people, who rely on these services to be able to live independently at home, are charged for them.
Currently, there is a wide variation in the charging undertaken and in the level of charges set by local authorities in Wales.
In 2009, the Deputy Minister introduced groundbreaking legislation – the Social Care Charges (Wales) Measure 2010 – to end the postcode lottery and introduce fairness and greater consistency in charging by local authorities for social care provided in the community.
The maximum charge is part of a wider £10.1m per annum ‘First Steps Improvement Package’, being introduced in Wales on 11 April. In addition, this package will:
- prohibit local authorities from charging for the provision of transport to day centres;
- make the existing statutory elements of the Fairer Charging Guidance mandatory. These provide financial safeguards for those on low incomes;
- require authorities to introduce a consistent procedure for reviewing charges within a specific timeframe.
The Welsh Assembly Government is also extending the Direct Payments scheme which allows eligible individuals, who have assessed community care needs, to purchase their own care services. This allows individuals to have greater choice and control over the way the services they receive are delivered and can lead to improved health and well-being outcomes for them and their carers.
Gwenda Thomas said:
“I am delighted to have been able to introduce these landmark measures which will make a real difference to the people who rely on these vital services the most.
“These individuals represent some of the most vulnerable members of our society who, without such services, would have a poorer quality of life, with many being unable to live independently in the community.
“As a Government, we are committed to investing in social care services. Indeed, despite the impact of the UK Government’s cuts to the Welsh budget, the Health and social services budget is going to be protected, in cash terms, in 2011-12. By 2013-14, an extra £35m will be invested in social services in Wales – representing a 3% overall increase – in order to protect the vital services that people rely on. In addition, we are also investing £10.1m a year in these changes to reimburse local authorities for the loss of income through charging.
“The evidence presented to me clearly showed that those who receive these services experience inequity due to the wide inconsistencies that exist in the charging systems operated by local authorities. When we undertook the research, the upper limits for weekly charges for homecare in Wales varied considerably; from £16.20 in Rhondda Cynon Taf to £200 in Neath Port Talbot, and some local authorities in Wales have no upper limit. This is clearly unfair and unacceptable, and that is why I have introduced these significant reforms.
“In one third of local authority areas, people who pay the maximum charge will on average save over £7,000 a year following the introduction of these measures. In other authorities, those on maximum charges will save between £2,000 and £5,000 a year. Many other service users on lower charges will also benefit.
“I would like to thank all those who have been involved in the development of the changes we are introducing including the Coalition on Charging Cymru, who I understand are by coincidence celebrating their 10th anniversary of their formation.
“We are committed to doing all that we can to eradicate inequality wherever it exists – and abolishing the postcode lottery that currently exists within the social care sector is an important step forward in achieving that important aim.”
Under the new measures, local authorities will continue to be able to set charges as they consider reasonable. However, this discretion will be subject to specific detailed limitations. Local Authorities will not be obliged to charge and will continue to be able to decide not to charge at all, or to charge less than any requirement in the legislation.
