A controversial move to increase the cost of care services provided by the Isle of Wight Council, allowing people to live independently in their homes, has been defended by top council officials.
The plan to increase charges for Wightcare is included in the leading Alliance administration’s proposed budget for 2022/23 to help stop the service from running at a loss.
If passed, charges will rise by roughly 13%.
Laying out the figures, cabinet member for strategic finance, Councilllor Chris Jarman said Wightcare was running at £380,000 yearly deficit, despite a £100,000 subsidy for many years.
Cllr Jarman said to try and fill the budget gap in one go, estimated to be a 36% increase in fees, would be ‘dramatic and detrimental.’
Instead, small, incremental amounts would see charges gradually increase over a number of years.
He recognised Islanders could opt out of Wightcare but said it was a very valuable service in great demand and the Alliance administration was looking to build on and improve it further. He said he could see it becoming more wanted, rather than less, in the future.
The council’s interim head of adult social care, Laura Gaudion said the authority would support people to ensure the increase would not negatively impact them and the council needed to utilise its scarce funds to discharge its statutory duties.
The £100,000 subsidy the authority was providing towards Wightcare, however, Ms Gaudion said, only added pressure when trying to deliver the council’s statutory duties. She said:
“As our budget becomes tighter we need to become ever-increasingly aware of where we are spending the very limited funds we have and for a service people can purchase from other care providers, it feels like a worthwhile decision to see if we can reduce the level of subsidy we pay and better support our statutory duties.”
Budget papers suggest £101,000 could be made in the first year of the service increases.
The increase is part of the budget the Alliance administration will put forward for approval on February 23. If accepted, they will come into force from April.
she said As our budget becomes tighter we need to become ever-increasingly aware of where we are spending the very limited funds we have then stop giving yourself a pay rise clam back all the money you have wasted on the bridge to nowhere and stop giving our money away to people you think will make you look good
DOT, you said it in a nutshell ,very quick to get a pay increase ,and our Council tax will increase to pay for their pay increase very greedy ,the Council is cutting services ,why not sart with their pay increase .very quick to keep paying out money for this white elephants ,i understand now that legal matters have started ? i hope this Council will not drop the ongoing legal despute ,like they did with AEW .
Small increments , I hardly call 13 per cent small ….
Pensions going up by 3-1 per cent !!!!!!
Utility bills (say no more )
Food etc very small increments NOT !!!!!!
Disgusting greed. More money and you will get less, mark my words.
No logic – so will only mean less will opt for the alarm,in an emergency help will be delayed on not at all. Meaning more people will need nursing homes at much greater expense to tax payers !. If the alarms were free might enable more to remain at home. Half of £300,000 already saved with Mr Metcalf’s resignation, he doesn’t need replacing,a few more on £100,000plus serve no purpose.
Good, about time…..
If this council were running a private business at a loss every year and still wont with a 13% rise, they would have been sacked for maybe mismanagement, but because its OUR money they just carry on as though they are doing a good job and getting a big pay rise for themselves.
Does the deficit come from those getting it for free.
They can defend all they like .
Truth is many of us will need care when we get older.
When they’re older they won’t be able to afford anyone to wipe their a*ses* if we invested in the people who provided all the life ethics and moral standards we abuse and think is a god given expectancy today, they might think differently.
You work, you pay and for those who can’t we support and care for. That’s what our social standing is in this great British state. Not neglecting people or washing them aside. They’ve paid for the care twice over. Stop abusing people.
What does this Council give us? Try phoning them up and everything has been put on hold. All I hear is, Its because of Covid…… Now you go on a waiting list before they will look at your case, issues!
If the Council stopped wasting money on the likes of the ferry and doing patch up jobs, then maybe there would be a bit more money in the kitty.