12/02/2025

Post on Cllr Ireland facebook page -

www.facebook.com/CllrAIreland/

Cllr Annette Ireland
2h

? Means Testing of Care Charges ?

I am so pleased to hear that this decision has now been Called In to the Full Council Meeting on the 26th February at 10am.

This means that a decision of such importance, and one which affects so many vulnerable residents will now be heard by all 18 councillors and not just the 4 who sit on Cabinet.

I am certainly hoping that the current minority council administration will change their own decision and will now defer the introduction of means tested charges for non residential care in East Renfrewshire.

22/2/2025

Published Barrhead News On Line

www.barrheadnews.com/

Concern over new East Renfrewshire social care charges
20th February


By Gillian McPherson
Reporter

Fears have been raised that the introduction of new social care charges will not only “add a significant burden to vulnerable local families” but will also “deter people from accessing the care they need.”

Earlier this month it was revealed that means-tested £20 per hour fees for non-residential care can be introduced from July after they received the backing of East Renfrewshire Council’s (ERC) Cabinet.

Council leader Owen O’Donnell said they were required due to “significant financial challenges” and were being implemented with a “really heavy heart”.

The controversial decision, however, has been “called in” for further scrutiny which means it will be discussed by all councillors at the full council meeting next week on February 26 at 10am.

Independent Councillor Annette Ireland told the Barrhead News: “This (the further scrutiny at full council) means that a decision of such importance, and one which affects so many vulnerable residents will now be heard by all 18 councillors and not just the four who sit on Cabinet.

“I am certainly hoping that the current minority council administration will change their own decision and will now defer the introduction of means tested charges for non-residential care in East Renfrewshire.”

The plan, which it is estimated could affect around 500 residents, has prompted widespread opposition from parents and carers concerned about the impact on the elderly and disabled.

A petition started by one parent calling for the proposal to be dropped has attracted 1,000 signatures.

While personal care is not included, charges will relate to non-residential care like “social supports”, which include “help to access our communities, support with shopping, day opportunities as well as building and community-based services”, an official previously said.

“This is a very definite choice being taken by the current administration, and I am genuinely concerned over the implementation of these means-tested charges as this will add a significant additional burden to many vulnerable local families,” added Cllr Ireland, who represents Clarkston, Netherlee and Williamwood.

“I am also very concerned that these charges will actually deter people from accessing the care that they need and also lead to decreased independence and social isolation for so many.

“There is money available to fund this. One example is that East Renfrewshire announced an underspend of £2.14 million on the exact same day as they bulldozed these charges through. Make no mistake, this is a choice.

“Recent social care assessments by ERC have already unfortunately resulted in so many residents losing a large amount of vital care hours.

"The decision to add this extra burden onto residents is leaving many local families incredibly worried and so concerned for the future.”

A decision on whether to roll out the charges was delayed in December to see whether the planned Scottish Government’s budget provided any extra support.

Financial assessments will be carried out and a taper level has been set to “determine the percentage of the disposable income the person should keep and the percentage that should go towards paying for their care”.

Councillors decided to go with 40%, which is estimated to bring in just under £1m.

The Cabinet also decided to change the implementation date from April to July 1.

Councillor Chris Lunday has also expressed outrage at the “deeply concerning” decision, saying it has been “rushed through without proper scrutiny” and that the people of East Renfrewshire “deserve answers.”

The SNP politician, who represents Barrhead, Liboside and Uplawmoor, said: “This is an appalling decision that will hit some of the most vulnerable people in our communities the hardest.

“The Labour administration had a clear choice to make, and they chose to take money from those who rely on vital care services, despite sitting on a £2.14 million underspend.

“This is not about necessity; it is about political choices, and they have made the wrong one.

“At a time when people are already struggling with the cost-of-living crisis, this move will place even more financial pressure on those who depend on non-residential care to maintain their independence and dignity.

“The lack of clear information on how these charges will be applied only adds to the distress this decision will cause.”

East Renfrewshire is the last of six HSCPs in the Greater Glasgow and Clyde area to introduce charging for non-residential care and only Inverclyde, at 25%, will have a lower taper.

Councillor Owen O’Donnell, the leader of ERC, said: “It was with a really heavy heart that the council’s Cabinet supported the IJB’s recommendation to introduce charging.

“After years of underfunding by the Scottish Government, the IJB has run out of options and has to make very difficult decisions to meet the significant financial challenges of delivering services in the long term.

“All five of the other HSCPs in Greater Glasgow and Clyde introduced charging for non-residential care many years ago.

“Across the country the average cap on what people have to pay from their disposable income is 64% and in some areas it’s up to 75%.

“After extensive feedback from service users, the council’s Cabinet has recommended that for people in East Renfrewshire, the cap be reduced from the 60% proposed by the IJB to 40% and that the introduction of charges be delayed from April to July.

“These charges are not expected to apply to the majority of service users.”

A spokesperson from East Renfrewshire Health and Social Care Partnership (HSCP) said: “If approved by full council, the introduction of any charges for non-residential care would be a big change for people in receipt of non-residential care in East Renfrewshire, and we know this is concerning to them and their loved ones

“We must stress that any charge would be linked to the ability to pay, and this would be established through a financial assessment. This would be carried out in partnership with the people we support and their families or carers.

“After years of underfunding by the Scottish Government, the IJB has run out of options and has to make very difficult decisions to meet the significant financial challenges of delivering services in the long term.

“All five of the other HSCPs in Greater Glasgow and Clyde introduced charging for non-residential care many years ago.

“Across the country the average cap on what people have to pay from their disposable income is 64% and in some areas it’s up to 75%.

“After extensive feedback from service users, the council’s Cabinet has recommended that for people in East Renfrewshire, the cap be reduced from the 60% proposed by the IJB to 40% and that the introduction of charges be delayed from April to July.

“These charges are not expected to apply to the majority of service users.”

A spokesperson from East Renfrewshire Health and Social Care Partnership (HSCP) said: “If approved by full council, the introduction of any charges for non-residential care would be a big change for people in receipt of non-residential care in East Renfrewshire, and we know this is concerning to them and their loved ones

“We must stress that any charge would be linked to the ability to pay, and this would be established through a financial assessment. This would be carried out in partnership with the people we support and their families or carers.

26/2/2025

Published Barrhead News On Line -

www.barrheadnews.com/

East Renfrewshire Council delay social care charges
8 hrs ago

By Gillian McPherson
Reporter

The controversial introduction of new social care charges has been delayed.

Earlier this month it was revealed that means-tested £20 per hour fees for non-residential care would be able to be introduced from July after they received the backing of East Renfrewshire Council’s (ERC) Cabinet.

Families impacted by the news had slammed the move, claiming that it would strip the most vulnerable in society of their independence and quality of life.

A petition started against the charges attracted more than 1,000 signatures while a social media campaign against the plans has also generated support.

Against this wave of opposition, the decision was “called in” by the council’s SNP group for further scrutiny.

The charges were discussed by all councillors at the full council meeting this morning (February 26) and will now come into effect on April 1, 2026.

East Renfrewshire Council said this delay will allow time for financial assessments to take place and for service users to be "supported by the council to ensure they are receiving all the benefits which they are eligible for".

By April 2026, the council said it will also know if the Scottish Government intends to abolish these charges nationally.

The Integration Joint Board — a partnership between the council and NHS which runs health and social care services — recommended the new charges, as they felt them “necessary” in terms of the financial challenge the Health and Social Care Partnership and their partners are facing.

Councillor O’Donnell said he would be writing to the First Minister to ask him if he is going to deliver on an SNP manifesto commitment to abolish such charges.

The council leader added: “We remain committed to supporting the HSCP’s vital work.

“Our total contribution to health and social care in the coming year will be £79.1m, more than a fifth of the council’s total expenditure.”

27/2/2025

Published Barrhead News On Line

www.barrheadnews.com/

UPDATED

East Renfrewshire Council delay social care charges
26th February


By Drew Sandelands
Local Democracy Reporter

Plans to roll out new social care charges which sparked opposition from parents and carers have been pushed back.

Means-tested £20 per hour fees for non-residential care, which includes ‘social supports’ like help with shopping or going to the cinema, were set to be introduced from July after East Renfrewshire Council’s cabinet backed the proposal.

Ahead of the council meeting this week, families impacted by the news had slammed the move, claiming that it would strip the most vulnerable in society of their independence and quality of life.

A petition started against the charges attracted more than 1,000 signatures while a social media campaign against the plans also generated support.

Against this wave of opposition, the decision was “called in” by the council’s SNP group for further scrutiny.

The charges were discussed by councillors at a full council on February 26 and Labour and SNP councillors agreed to defer the charges until April 2026.

Conservative councillors had put forward a proposal to drop them for the remainder of the council term, which runs until 2027.

Money to cover the loss of income arising from the deferral will be taken from a £2.2m underspend in the council’s budget for 2024/25.

Health and social care chiefs will also produce a report, including an updated assessment of the impact on people affected, by October.

A decision on the charges had already been deferred from December to see whether more funding was made available in the Scottish Government’s budget.

East Renfrewshire Council said the latest delay will allow time for financial assessments to take place to see who would need to pay the charges and for service users to be "supported by the council to ensure they are receiving all the benefits which they are eligible for".

By April 2026, the council said it will also know if the Scottish Government intends to abolish these charges nationally.

Council leader Owen O’Donnell, Labour, said the integration joint board (IJB) — a partnership between the council and NHS which runs health and social care services — remained “extremely challenged.

He added the IJB had recommended the charges were agreed by the cabinet — which is made up of three Labour councillors and independent Danny Devlin — due to its “severe financial challenges”.

These have been “increasing for a number of years as a result of flat cash budget settlements failing to recognise increasing demand for services as the demographics of East Renfrewshire change”, Cllr O’Donnell said.

Cllr O’Donnell also stated that he would be writing to the First Minister to ask him if he is going to deliver on an SNP manifesto commitment to abolish such charges.

The council leader added: “We remain committed to supporting the HSCP’s vital work.

“Our total contribution to health and social care in the coming year will be £79.1m, more than a fifth of the council’s total expenditure.”

The council’s budget for 2025/26, passed yesterday, includes an extra £1.6m for health and social care services.

Cllr O’Donnell said the report in October will include “a full equalities impact assessment of those service users potentially asked to contribute”.

He added the motion, agreed by Labour and SNP, implied a decision would be made in October on whether to continue with the charges from April 1, 2026.

Cllr Buchanan, the SNP group leader, said the motion was “by no means perfect” but enables scrutiny of the proposed charges, adding: “I think it is the best way forward, it gets all of the information. It works with all of those who require those services.”

Cllr Gordon Wallace, Conservative, said dropping the plans for the remainder of the council term would ensure “clarity and stability for service users and their families”.

He said his group’s amendment aimed to uphold the principle “that living within this council’s boundaries means being part of a fairer, supportive and compassionate community”.

A council official said the cost of not implementing non-residential charging at all “would be £4.5m to the council over three financial years”. Other savings or ways of generating income would be required.

Cllr Buchanan said: “We have a one-year budget which we know has been costed to take the funding from.

“To make a costing for future years, without knowing where we would generate that income, where we may make those savings, leaves us in a very risky place in terms of sound financial management.”

It has been estimated the charges would affect around 500 residents. An equalities assessment found they could put more demand on unpaid carers and “reduce opportunities” for disabled people to take part in their communities.

An official previously said non-residential care covered “social supports” such as “help to access our communities, support with shopping, day opportunities as well as building and community-based services”. Personal care is not included.

If the charges go ahead, a taper level will be set to determine how much disposable income a person should keep and how much goes towards their care. It will apply to an individual’s income rather than family income.

East Renfrewshire would be the last of six HSCPs in the Greater Glasgow and Clyde area to introduce charging for non-residential care.

There were 11 votes for the Labour/SNP motion and seven for the Conservative amendment, with two independents, Annette Ireland and David Macdonald, supporting the Tories’ proposal.