Budget Proposals 2025/26: Increase some Adult Social Care (ASC) fees and charges above the rate of inflation
Help us balance our budget.
Consultation status Open - Final day
Background
West Berkshire Council is currently reviewing the cost of its Adult Social Care Services to ensure we can deliver value for money and meet the needs of our residents.
Each year the Council increases its fees and charges in line with inflation but this year we are proposing to increase some Adult Social Care fees and charges above the normal annual inflationary rate to bring them more in line with what it costs to deliver the service. These fees and charges are:
- Transport costs per trip
- Deferred Payment set up fee
- Annual Deferred Payment fee
- Full Cost Administration fee
Transport costs
Last year, Adult Social Care changed how it charged for transport by introducing a flat rate charge per trip, the original proposed fee was £5.00 per trip but to limit the impact this was reduced to £3.75 per trip. Some trips cost more than £100.00 per trip depending on the distance and mode of transport.
There are currently 196 individuals who pay for transport services.
Deferred Payment set-up fee and annual fee
A Deferred Payment Agreement is an agreement between an individual and the Council that is designed to help an individual who has been assessed as having to pay the full cost of their care, in a care home or supported living, but cannot access their money because their capital is tied up in their home.
The current costs are:
- Set-up fee - £886.00
- Annual fee - £310.00
There are currently 31 individuals with a Deferred Payment Agreement, and on average 21 new Deferred Payments are set up annually.
Full Cost Administration fee
The Full Cost Administration fee is charged to individuals who live in the community whose capital is above the upper capital threshold of £23,250 who ask the Council to arrange their care and support rather than arranging it themselves. The current annual fee is £286.00.
Currently 265 individuals pay the Full Cost Administration fee.
Legislative and Statutory Requirements
The Care Act 2014 governs what services the Council should provide as part of an individual's care package, what services the Council does not need to provide and how the Council can charge for these services.
What we are proposing
To increase the following fees and charges above the normal annual inflationary rate (October 2024 CPI +2% in 2025/26):
| Fee | Current charge | Proposed charge | Proposed % increase |
|---|---|---|---|
| Transport per trip | £3.75 per trip | £5 | 33% |
| Deferred Payment set up fee | £886 | £1,200 | 35% |
| Deferred Payment annual fee | £310 | £400 | 29% |
| Full Cost Administration fee | £286 | £365 | 28% |
These proposals will save the Council approximately £100,000 per year.
What we think the impact will be
There will be a financial impact on those individuals that use these services.
Individuals can choose to source their own transport arrangements and individuals can choose not to enter into a deferred payment arrangement or ask the Council to source their care and support.
Please refer to the Equity Impact Assessment to see what has already been identified [285KB] .
What else we have considered before arriving at our proposal
The other options we've considered, but discounted are:
- to stop providing transport altogether, which would have a greater impact, and many individuals would have no means of getting to the day services
- to charge a higher flat rate per journey, which would save the council more money, but would have a bigger financial impact on those individuals that chose to use the transport
- to only increase the fees and charges by the normal annual inflationary increase, but this would mean we would continue to subsidise these services
Why we want your views
We'd like to know what you think of our proposal, how it might affect you and the wider community, and any suggestions you may have on how we could minimise any potential negative effects, should we proceed. We'll also ask you a little bit about yourself, for example, if you're a service user or how old you are, but you cannot be identified from your answers.
How to take part
If you'd like to comment on our proposal, please complete our survey by midnight on Monday, 23 December 2024. It should take about 10 minutes.
If you have any questions about the consultation, please email asc.consultations@westberks.gov.uk
For general enquiries about Adult Social Care Services please visit our webpage.
What happens next
All feedback will be analysed by the service, and a recommendation made to elected Members as part of the budget papers for 2025/26 at the Executive meeting on Thursday, 13 February 2025. A final decision whether to proceed with the proposal will then be made by elected Members at the meeting of Full Council on Thursday, 27 February 2025.
The recommendations will also be reviewed and discussed by members of the Scrutiny Commission on Tuesday, 11 February 2025.
Shortly after the Full Council meeting, a summary of the responses we received and the decisions taken will be published on this page.
If the decision is made to proceed with the proposal, the change will be implemented from April 2025.
All meetings will be open to the public, and residents can attend either in person at the Market Street Offices or online. If you'd like to ask a West Berkshire Councillor a question at a public meeting, find out what can and can't be asked, and how to submit your question here.
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