Cheshire East Council has defended allegations that it charges the highest hourly rate for adult social care in the country.
A new survey of care published by Labour on Friday 30th December, revealed huge differences in the prices charged for care services depending on where the vulnerable adults live.
The survey showed that home care is provided for free in Tower Hamlets, whilst in Cheshire East it costs £20.34 per hour.
Strategic Director for children, families and adults, Lorraine Butcher, said "Cheshire East Council has been compared with Tower Hamlets, which it is claimed charges nothing for home care. The analysis that is referenced is misleading and the figures quoted are in isolation from the bigger picture. Delivery of social care provision to vulnerable adults is changing rapidly across the country and within Cheshire East.
"Within the Borough, relatively few people receive home care provided through traditional care services at the price indicated. A higher number of older people receive a free service through our reablement programme which supports them for a period of up to six weeks following discharge from hospital.
"This successful service is not charged for and represents, on a full year basis, over £3m of free home care provided in the Borough.
"It is recognised that if people are given concentrated support after a debilitating illness, they can resume a relatively normal life requiring little or no home support."
Mrs Butcher added: "If the comparison is to be made with Tower Hamlets, then it must be remembered that Government funding for Cheshire East is among the lowest in the country.
"We are given per head of population £191.62: Tower Hamlets is given £968.18 per head. This means we can afford to spend per head only £753.42: Tower Hamlets is almost double that at £1,428.16. The funding context for each local authority area is an important feature of costs and charges being made.
"While these figures don't explain the price, they do certainly set the context in which we are forced to work. And if people are not in a position to pay in full or a partial contribution, (we only take into account 97% of an individual's disposable income) then no charge is made. The only time a care user has to pay fully for services is if they have more than £23,250 in savings. Then we charge only 97% of the cost."
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