The consultation is now closed and responses are being reviewed.
We are consulting on proposals that will change the way we calculate how much our residents pay towards the cost of community-based adult social care services.
Community-based services include care provided to a person in their home, care provided in day centres and care purchased with a direct payment from the council.
Like all other councils, we are facing significant financial pressures. The changes we are consulting on will help us make savings to ensure we are able to continue providing a sustainable social care offer. The changes will alsoContinue reading
The consultation is now closed and responses are being reviewed.
We are consulting on proposals that will change the way we calculate how much our residents pay towards the cost of community-based adult social care services.
Community-based services include care provided to a person in their home, care provided in day centres and care purchased with a direct payment from the council.
Like all other councils, we are facing significant financial pressures. The changes we are consulting on will help us make savings to ensure we are able to continue providing a sustainable social care offer. The changes will also bring us in line with how other councils charge for community-based adult social care services, while maintaining our commitment that only people who can afford to pay towards the cost of their care, do so.
We are presenting three options which each propose changes to following areas:
- changing the ‘standard utilities allowance’
- increasing the maximum amount people may be asked to pay towards the cost of their care
- removing the charge for respite and carer relief
Option 1
- Increase the maximum amount people can be asked pay towards their care from £250 per week to £1,000 per week.
- Remove the £15 ‘standard utilities allowance’.
- Provide respite and carer relief services free of charge, if they are put in place primarily to meet the needs of a carer following a carer assessment. At the moment these services are chargeable to the person receiving adult social care services.
It is estimated that 28 people will be impacted by increasing the maximum weekly contribution. If a person is not currently contributing the maximum of £250 per week, they will not be impacted by this proposed increase.
We project that removing the ‘standard utilities allowance’ will impact 1,304 people.
We estimate that at least 200 carers will be impacted by the changes to respite and carer relief.
The projected annual saving for this option is £400,000.
Option 2
- Increase the maximum amount people can be asked to pay towards their care from £250 per week to £1,000 per week.
- Reduce the ‘standard utilities allowance’ from £15 to £5.
- Provide respite and carer relief services free of charge, if they are put in place primarily to meet the needs of a carer following a carer assessment. At the moment these services are chargeable to the person receiving adult social care services
It is estimated that 28 people will be impacted by increasing the maximum weekly contribution. If a person is not currently contributing the maximum of £250 per week, they will not be impacted by this proposed increase.
We project that reducing the ‘standard utilities allowance’ to £5 will impact 1,239 people.
We estimate that at least 200 carers will be impacted by the changes to respite and carer relief.
The projected annual saving for this option is £263,000.
Option 3
- Increase the maximum amount people can be asked to contribute towards their care from £250 per week to £300 per week.
- Remove the £15 ‘standard utilities allowance’.
- Provide respite and carer relief services free of charge, if they are put in place primarily to meet the needs of a carer following a carer assessment. At the moment these services are chargeable to the person receiving adult social care services
It is estimated that 28 people will be impacted by increasing the maximum weekly contribution. If a person is not currently contributing the maximum of £250 per week, they will not be impacted by this proposed increase.
To allow for a weekly maximum contribution of £300 per week, the ‘standard utilities allowance’ is removed in option 3. We estimate that this will impact 1,304 people.
We estimate that at least 200 carers will be impacted by the changes to respite and carer relief.
The projected annual saving for this option is £274,000.
For more information, please read our full consultation information document.
The proposed changes will not affect people living in a residential care home or nursing care home.
We want to hear what you think about these options. The consultation will run from Tuesday 9 June 2020 to Monday 7 September 2020.
This consultation was previously published on Let's talk Tower Hamlets on 9 March 2020 but was impacted by the coronavirus pandemic. To ensure the council runs a meaningful consultation, it has now been relaunched and the date for responses has been extended to Monday 7 September 2020.
All views from this consultation will be presented to the Mayor in Cabinet. An option will then be agreed.
To have your say, scroll down and select 'Take Survey'.
If you require this information in a different format, please email charging@towerhamlets.gov.uk
