Shropshire Star

Charges to rise at day care centres

Older people going to day centres in mid Wales are being hit by a 33 per cent rise in costs.

Published

The attendance cost will rise from £10 to £15 while the charge for a hot meal and other refreshments during the day is going up from £5 to £7.50.

The increases affect Powys County Council run day centres and not the centre in Welshpool, run by the town council.

Powys County Council's cabinet originally agreed to increase the charges in March but was asked by full council to reconsider.

This week cabinet members voted unanimously to stick to their original decision.

Portfolio holder for adult services, Councillor Stephen Hayes said he had reconsidered the matter carefully but said the cabinet had to balance the need to support those that receive the services with the need to recognise the financial strain of the service provision.

He said the council wanted to evolve an early intervention and community based support service to meet the needs of older people in Powys and that the decision on day centre charges would have implications for developing that service.

There was an overall weekly cap on the day centre and domiciliary care charges of £70 and a means tested limit.

The £15 cost to attend day centres and the £7.50 meal charge was significantly below what it costs the council to provide the services.

Councillor Liam Fitzpatrick said the £7.50 meal charge was in line with that charged by other local authorities which had kept their day centres, so there is evidence and good practice reasons to support the recommendation.

Councillor Aled Davies said a third of clients did not pay anything at all and he supported the decision to increase the charges.

Councillor Myfanwy Alexander said a lot of residents in Powys do not have access to a day centre at all and the recommendation was a measured response in difficult times.

The cabinet voted unanimously to support the original decision to increase the charges for meals and attendance at day centres.