Tag Archives: social care
Pensioners set up lunch clubs after new council charges imposed
PENSIONERS have formed their own lunch clubs which helps carers
Minnis Day Centre in Birchington is the sole remaining publicly run centre in Thanet. Some people have stopped attending after being hit by charges of up to £45 per day.
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TUCK IN: New lunch club members enjoyed a value for money meal
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Carer Barry Hardy, 85, set up a club because he cannot afford the new charges to take his wife Kay to the centre.
Following talks between users and KCC, Mr Hardy decided to organise a club to give carers and pensioners a place to gather that did not break the bank.
Mr Hardy said: “We couldn’t believe it when we saw the bill. For £30 a day, a hotel could provide breakfast, lunch and dinner so it’s hard to see where the money would go.
“It gives the carers a break as they know their loved ones will be looked after.
“For those that live alone, they can enjoy a home-cooked meal and some company.”
100% personal budgets target scrapped
Care minister says councils must have 70% of service users on personal budgets by April 2013, ditching 100% ambition.
Pic Credit: Rex Features
The government has scrapped its target for councils to move all service users in the community on to personal budgets by April 2013, care minister Norman Lamb announced today.
Lamb said he had agreed a new target of having 70% of users on personal budgets by the same date, following talks with the Association of Directors of Adult Social Services.
Lamb said personal budgets were not suitable for everyone, but stressed that the 70% target was a staging post and should not be seen as a ceiling.
His announcement, at the National Children and Adult Services Conference, was strongly welcomed by Adass president Sarah Pickup.
She said that it would mean councils could stop “chasing a number” and focus on outcomes.
Lamb also issued a strong personal commitment to implementing the Dilnot commission’s proposals of a cap on the care costs faced by individuals.
