Elderly To Be Hit By Massive Care Charge Hike

4.22.26pm UTC (GMT +0000) Mon 4th Dec 2006

Lib Dems say that Labour controlled Haringey Council budget plans show vulnerable older and disabled people will bear the brunt of the Labour Council's financial difficulties, with multi-million pound cuts planned to Social Services over the next 4 years. Labour's plans to slash back services and increase charges were scrutinised by councillors for the first time this Wednesday evening.

Lib Dem councillors helped ensure the committee recommended that vital day centres did not close. Although Labour have already had to abandon the controversial plans to close drop-in centres for older people across the Borough, a huge array of cuts remain in the budget plans, including:

1. A £370,000 hike in charges for services such as home care and meals on wheels

2. A cut in 79 residential care beds for older people

3. The closure of the Haven day centre for older people

4. Closure of the Keston day centre for people with learning disabilities

5. Grants to voluntary sector service providers to be slashed by £1million a year

Cllr Wilson had already called for the Overview & Scrutiny Committee to consider the PCT's devastating service cuts with a view to referring them to the Secretary of State for Health. The Committee agreed on Wednesday to schedule an extra meeting in December to discuss these cuts.

Cllr Richard Wilson, Lib Dem Spokesperson for Health and Social Services said:

"Labour's NHS cuts have left a massive £500,000 shortfall in Haringey's social services budget and worsened the problem caused by huge overspending on projects such as Tech-Refresh. It is appalling that the most vulnerable elderly and disabled people will have their services cut because of Labour's financial mismanagement.

"An incredible £370,000 hike in charges for home care and meals on wheels will squeeze many hard-pressed Haringey pensioners. It is incredibly cynical of Labour to freeze charges in the years before the local elections and then announce massive increases just a few months afterwards."

Cllr Matt Davies said;

"Lib Dem councillors on the Scrutiny Committee argued these cuts were unacceptable. Thankfully Labour's plans to close and merge day centres were rejected by the Committee, who recommended the Executive rethink these damaging proposals. Clearly Council overspending and NHS cuts have left a huge hole in the social services budget, but very vulnerable people rely on these services."