§ Clive EffordTo ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will exempt people on Income Support from charges for non-residential personal care; and if he will estimate the cost of doing so in each of the next five years [261]
§ Jacqui SmithI have been asked to reply.
On 3 January 2001 we published a consultation paper and draft guidance on fairer charging policies for nonresidential social services. The draft guidance proposed that charges should not reduce service users' incomes below "basic levels" of Income Support, as defined in the draft guidance.
The Department's consultation paper noted that, while some users would pay lesser charges or cease to pay charges as a result of the draft guidance, better off users might reasonably be expected to pay higher charges. The experience of the local council operating the good practice example of charging policy described in the consultation paper suggests that there is scope for councils to maintain charge income in this way.
We are currently considering consultation responses and plan to issue final guidance later this summer.