Council blames cuts as it puts up care charges
Increases in care charges and other fees will net the city council an extra £400,000 over 15 months.
Burial fees and the cost of getting married in Leicester are also expected to rise on January 3.
The bill for care home places for the elderly will rise from £402 to £414 per week, while meals on wheels will rise by 10p per day to £2.95.
The largest increase is for home care services, which will increase from £9.15 per hour to £11.25.
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The city council said the proposed charge was still £1.75 lower than that set by Leicestershire County Council.
Councillor Rory Palmer, lead member for adult services, said: "Let no-one be in any doubt that this is as a direct result of Government cuts. We don't want to do this, but we have to."
He said the increased charges for care homes would only affect 45 people, while about 500 of the 2,000 people using home care services would end up paying more.
Tony Donovan, chief executive of Age Concern Leicester and Leicestershire, said: "In the past we have challenged the council on the cost of services for older people in the city.
"These increases should only be a last resort.
"We now recognise that the local authority is in dire straits and we're more concerned about services being cut altogether than price increases.
"These are means-tested so will only affect those who are in a position to pay. The key thing here will be to make sure people are informed of the rises clearly and with enough time to prepare."
A report due to go before councillors next week says: "The usual policy for fees and charges is that most increases are implemented at the start of each financial year.
"However, it is proposed that for the current year, the increase for a number of fees and charges is brought forward from April 1 to January so that the increased income can be collected for an additional quarter to assist with budgetary pressures."
Marriage and other ceremonial fees set by the local authority are also proposed to be increased.
These could be brought forward to January 2011 but are expected to be minimal.
Burial charges are expected to increase by 10 per cent above inflation. It is expected the council would earn an extra £80,000 over the year from this.
Mr Donovan said: "People often don't take notice of funeral costs until the time comes and that's when they realise just how expensive they are."
Councillor Veejay Patel, leader of the council, said: "Some above-inflation charges are required to meet the increase in VAT imposed by the Government.
"Some are, unfortunately, necessary to help meet the substantial cuts enforced on us by the Government. We would not have chosen to be doing this."
It is proposed to increase sports charges on January 1 by an average of five per cent, which includes the 2.5 per cent VAT increase.
A decision will be made by the council this month.
Comments
by david, leics
Sunday, December 05 2010, 10:05PM
“Leicester City Council subsidize the Muslim Burial Council, perhaps if more of us converted our costs would come down?”
by keith hudson, Leicester
Friday, December 03 2010, 6:37AM
“Sad situation but typical political dishonesty.
Put up council tax - capped by central government. No possibility of capping if you put up charges.
So screw the most vulnerable, knowing that you'll get a double benefit - more income from those who decide to pay, fewer services received because those who can't afford it decide to manage without. And then get the extra income from the increased burial costs as people die through the loss of services. Win-win situation for the council.
And don't think for one moment that it won't happen.”
by abs, melton
Thursday, December 02 2010, 7:15PM
“omg wot will you think of next,
10% increase above inflation for the privilage to be laid to rest... not everyone has life insurance, you have young people that pass, families have enough to deal with, in greif without the extra worry of going into even more debt.
maybe u so called do gooders shud stop being greedy and selfish, Take a drop in ur pay and live on the minimum wage like you expect so many of the poorer families to do, bet the government would save a packet in 1 month,
you didnt ask the good old public to help you spend the money. you put the country in debt, you shud do your bit to Help get it out”
by abs, melton
Thursday, December 02 2010, 7:05PM
“OMG, it just gets worse...
10% above inflation for the privilage of being layed to rest..
you making it hard enough for people to servive as it is.. then u want to cause people to get onto debt, at a time of brief.
why dont u so called do gooders, take a leaf out your own books, take a flippin drop in your wages, live on the minimum wage like u expect so many too do,
think u will find the government will save a packet in a month”
by David, Leics
Thursday, December 02 2010, 5:26PM
“Is this the same John Lagrey former County Councillor that lost his seat and defended the Labour waste and shortage of funding for social care £6 billion gap?
The question is why does he still sign off as a councillor!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!”
by John Legrys, Coalville Councillor
Thursday, December 02 2010, 3:13PM
“Is this the same David Sprason Conservative County Councillor for the Markfield Division and former Leics CC Cabinet Lead Member for Adult Care that continuously raised care charges when Labour was in Government?”
by Kulgan, Crydee
Thursday, December 02 2010, 11:05AM
“Alan5547,
Why let such a simple thing like that get in the way of raising money.”
by Steve, Countesthorpe
Thursday, December 02 2010, 10:36AM
“Good point Alan......perhaps they don't understand their own finances??!! ;-) sigh”
by alan5547, leics
Thursday, December 02 2010, 10:30AM
“Veejay Patel, leader of the council, said: "Some above-inflation charges are required to meet the increase in VAT imposed by the Government."
hmmmm I understood that local councils able to recover all VAT from HMR&C?”
by Steve, Countesthorpe
Thursday, December 02 2010, 10:16AM
“They don't have to increase these charges - it is there personal choice to hit this group of people!!
As a businessman I would like to point out that the rise (and indeed the previous fall) in VAT would be negligible factors to the liklehood of success or failure of my business. So we can rule that out as scaremongering straight away.
I would reword Cllr Palmer's statement as "Let no-one be in any doubt that this is as a direct result of Government over spending and bad financial management of the past (gold sales, turn a blind eye to banks behaviour). We don't want to do this, but we have to."”