Published: 09/09/2010 16:00 -
Updated: 08/09/2010 14:57
Northamptonshire county Council has come under fire from the Liberal Democrats after increasing the costs of adult social services.
The county council budget needs to find an extra £600,000 income from charging for services while making £500,000 in savings in services such as social care transportation.
One of the services to increase in price is Meals on Wheels that brings food to the homes of the elderly and those in need. Customers currently pay £2.91 per meal but that is now likely to increase to £6.26.
The council has also stated that transport service charges are to increase by a flat rate of £3 per day per customer, whereas before the cost was only £1.
Liberal Democrat opposition leader at the county council, Brendan Glynane (pictured right), said: “These increases are an attack on the most vulnerable citizens in our county.
Northamptonshire Conservatives seem hell-bent on making the poorest foot the bill for their financial mismanagement.
“For people on fixed incomes, increases of 15 per cent will be unaffordable. This will lead to fewer people taking up the services, meaning that vulnerable people will be without vital support.
“Some increases are eyewatering.
Transport costs will go up from £1 a day to £4, an astonishing 300 per cent increase, meaning that vulnerable people will be trapped and isolated in their homes and will not be able to go to their day care centres as much as they can now.
“The idea of charging the full fee of £6.26 to new people signing up to Meals on Wheels will mean that hardly anyone will take up the service. It would be cheaper to go the pub. This will mean the decline of the service and potentially the end of Meals on Wheels.
“The irony of all this is that the Conservatives will not even get the cash they are expecting, as they don’t appear to have made any calculation of how many people will drop off the service because it is too expensive.
“It appears that the Northamptonshire Conservatives are still the nasty party.” The council will debate these issues at the cabinet meeting on September 14.
One of the services to increase in price is Meals on Wheels that brings food to the homes of the elderly and those in need. Customers currently pay £2.91 per meal but that is now likely to increase to £6.26.
The council has also stated that transport service charges are to increase by a flat rate of £3 per day per customer, whereas before the cost was only £1.
Liberal Democrat opposition leader at the county council, Brendan Glynane (pictured right), said: “These increases are an attack on the most vulnerable citizens in our county.
Northamptonshire Conservatives seem hell-bent on making the poorest foot the bill for their financial mismanagement.
“For people on fixed incomes, increases of 15 per cent will be unaffordable. This will lead to fewer people taking up the services, meaning that vulnerable people will be without vital support.
“Some increases are eyewatering.
Transport costs will go up from £1 a day to £4, an astonishing 300 per cent increase, meaning that vulnerable people will be trapped and isolated in their homes and will not be able to go to their day care centres as much as they can now.
“The idea of charging the full fee of £6.26 to new people signing up to Meals on Wheels will mean that hardly anyone will take up the service. It would be cheaper to go the pub. This will mean the decline of the service and potentially the end of Meals on Wheels.
“The irony of all this is that the Conservatives will not even get the cash they are expecting, as they don’t appear to have made any calculation of how many people will drop off the service because it is too expensive.
“It appears that the Northamptonshire Conservatives are still the nasty party.” The council will debate these issues at the cabinet meeting on September 14.
