Move to cut Shropshire pensioners' cash by £5 a week ‘not an easy decision’
A move which could see some pensioners lose out on nearly £5 a week "has not been an easy decision", according to a leading councillor.
It would reduce the level to £189 per week for a single person, and £144.30 per week for a member of a couple.
The move is being considered to raise another £467,000 for the council and a consultation on the plan is set to be launched after cabinet discussion on the proposal today.
Councillor Lee Chapman, cabinet member for adult services, health and housing, said the authority was only considering the change because of the huge rise in costs of providing adult social care.
He said: "Shropshire Council, like all other local authorities, is facing a significant increase in the cost of adult social care. Increasing demand, demographic pressures and rising contract costs; means that the cost of adult social care is forecast to increase by an average of eight per cent per year over the next five years, this equates to £8.3m per year.
Income
"In such circumstances it is inevitable that the council must seek to maximise its income in a fair and transparent manner. As demand for services along with inflation continues to rise, this gap will continue to grow, unless we find ways to fill this funding gap.
"With this in mind, Shropshire Council’s Cabinet will consider proposals to consult on the changes to the Minimum Income Guarantee (MIG) for those people of pensionable age. The government sets the MIG at a rate which has been calculated to ensure people have enough income after paying for their care.
"We understand the challenges and possible impact these proposals can have on people and it has not been an easy decision to put forward these proposals. If cabinet approves the recommendations to go out to consultation, our priority will be to contact those who would be directly affected by the proposed changes. The views of individuals will be very carefully considered as part of the consultation process before any decisions are made."
He added: "We must stress that we remain committed to supporting our most vulnerable people. All charges to individuals are based on a financial assessment to ensure we only charge people who can contribute to their care. If a person’s income is very low (below the MIG) they are not charged anything for their care."
