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Scotland Fife homecare charges
http://www.fifetoday.co.uk/fife-herald-news/Care-campaigners-urge-nonpayment-of.4369803.jp
Saturday, 8th
November 2008
Care campaigners urge
non-payment of charges
07 August 2008
By
Liz Rougvie
A DISABLED north east Fife woman
playing a key role in the fight against increased care charges is
supporting calls for a non-payment campaign.
Katie Spencer-Nairn, who lives near Springfield, is a leading member of
the Campaign Against Charges group set up in the wake of the
introduction of the new charges earlier this year for services provided
to the elderly and disabled.
Having seen her own charges rise from £4 to £192 a week, she has
consistently argued that the increases are 'illegal and immoral' and
should be scrapped.
Now the group has called on those affected to withhold payment of the
controversial charges in a concerted effort to defeat a policy that they
claim means that the elderly and disabled are paying for services used
by other people.
This week Katie challenged social work bosses and politicians to clarify
what they meant when they insisted that the income from the charges
would be used to help people with the greatest need.
She said: "Fife House is currently being refurbished from top to bottom,
while the disabled and elderly are being made to pay for a service that
covers the most basic of necessities.
"Perhaps the present administration would like clarify who they regard
as 'people with the greatest needs' and what they consider are front
line services."
Peter Grant, leader of the administration on Fife Council, said it was
no secret that Fife House was being refurbished in order to bring
accommodation up to standard and to provide local authority staff with
the modern, safe and clean working environment that they were entitled
to.
He described as 'absolute nonsense' the claim that the elderly and
disabled would suffer as a result, and accused the Campaign Against
Charges of 'scaremongering'.
He said: "We are currently carrying out benefits and needs assessments
and no new charges will be implemented until this process is complete.
"In many cases people will be better off as a result of these changes,
but if there is a genuine reason why someone cannot afford to pay they
will be visited by a social worker.
"There is no question of services being withdrawn."
http://www.thecourier.co.uk/output/2007/10/10/newsstory10397446t0.asp
http://www.smartcommunityfife.org.uk/news/article/disabled-auchtermuchty-man-raps-home-care-charges-/
From
Fife Herald, Friday, 10th October, 2008
A former teacher, who is now virtually
wheelchair-bound, has claimed that he faces destitution after his home
care charges rose from £16 to over £200 a month under Fife Council's
controversial new charging policy.
Sixty-three year-old Iain Miles,
of High Street, Auchtermuchty, was forced to retire
from his post at Bell Baxter High School, Cupar, after he developed
multiple health problems, and now faces having at least one leg
amputated.
He says he needs a lot of help from home care staff but that his modest
income isn't enough to cover the increased costs.
Mr Miles, who lost his wife Citty Finlayson to cancer three years ago,
receives benefits as well as an occupational pension from the council,
and needs what spare cash he has to run his car which is his only means
of independence.
He says he was 'flabbergasted' when the bill from Fife Council dropped
through his letter box.
He declared: "I am beside myself with worry because I know that, with
every week that goes by, I'm accruing arrears that I can't pay.
''At first I thought that the only option for me was to give up my
services but I've been persuaded that this is what the council wants.
There's no way I can afford to pay this.
''I am incensed by the way the council is treating me. They can do what
they like with me but, at the end of the day, they can't get blood out
of a stone.
"I have contributed to society for many years, particularly in the
education of young people. As well as being struck down with poor health
I feel I am being dealt a double blow by this council who will see me
destitute."
Under the new arrangements, charges for home care have
risen from £4 a week to up to £11 an hour, and charges
have been introduced for shopping deliveries and community alarms, both
of which were previously free.
The policy is vigorously opposed by the pressure group Campaign
Against Charges, who say that it is 'illegal and immoral.'
They have described Mr Miles' plight as 'obscene' and claim that, now
that the bills are beginning to arrive, people all over Fife will face
similar difficulties.
But the council continues to defend the increases and insists that only
those who can afford to do so will be asked to contribute towards the
cost of their care.
Social work boss Stephen Moore said: "Mr Miles' needs were assessed by
social work staff in April and this was followed by the completion of a
financial assessment in August.
"Mr Miles has been assessed as requiring to contribute £46.99 per week
towards his care costs, based on the information he provided about his
disposable income. The disposable income figure we have used to
calculate the care charges takes into account all of his income from
pensions and the care element of disability living allowance, as well as
living costs such as mortgage and council tax.
"Officers of the Social Work Service would be available to discuss the
details of the assessment process with Mr Miles if he wishes this and he
will not be left at risk or without a home care service.
"We think it only fair that those who can afford to pay do.
''The money raised from charging goes straight back into frontline
priority services targeted at the most vulnerable in our communities." |