Families of the disabled say they have been hit by hikes in care bills
Disabled facing postcode lottery on fees for care
Families of the disabled say they have been hit by hikes in care bills over recent months from councils that have upped charges as budgets flatline.
Disabled people claim they are being unfairly punished by having to pay hundreds of pounds a month
for help with washing, cooking and other support, which was once free.
They have called on the Scottish Government to follow Wales where a cap of £50 a week has been placed on all non-residential care. Some disabled people in Scotland claim they are being charged more than double that.
Unlike people over 65, whose personal care costs are free, disabled people’s care at home is still means-tested.
The highest charge in Scotland is now £22.10 an hour, billed by Angus Council to disabled people who do not qualify for any fee reduction. That contrasts with disabled people in Shetland and Orkney who pay nothing, and those in West Lothian who pay £7.76 an hour at most.
Most disabled people do not pay the maximum hourly sum, with the total calculated on income above a means-tested threshold.
However, several councils have increased the amount they take of this spare cash, with six local authorities in Scotland now having decided to take 100 per cent of left-over money if the charges match or exceed its value.
The Learning Disability Alliance has accused ministers of washing their hands of the issue by leaving it to councils to work out how to meet costs. They are calling on both tiers of government to work out a solution. In a newsletter last month, it suggested the council tax freeze may be to blame for putting pressure on councils to find extra cash. Other campaigners have noted how the £310 million cost of the freeze in 2009-10 is similar to the £350m levied in charges for care that year.
The LDA said: “The Welsh Assembly faced the same problem and decided it could not leave the vulnerable at the mercy of local authorities any longer and imposed a maximum charge of £50 per week. Such an approach would be a good first step for finance secretary John Swinney and the rest of Scotland.”
Ian Hood, co-ordinator of the Learning Disability Alliance Scotland, said: “There is no rhyme or reason to how these care charges are worked out. How can charges per hour vary by as much as double in two neighbouring local authorities?”
He added: “There is a real need for both the Scottish Government and Cosla (the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities] to step in and insist local authorities agree a common policy that is transparent and fair.”
Hourly costs for disabled people’s personal care are now routinely well over £10 an hour
