Kent consults on increasing charges

Proposals to increase the charge made for social care services were distributed to over 24,000 service users by Kent county council last month as it launched a consultation designed to help recoup some of the budget currently spent on adult social services. Having revealed plans to close some residential care homes and outsource others earlier this year, the council has now said that it needs extra income in order to help more people get the community-delivered care they require. A budget plan agreed to last February said that new charges for non-residential services could be made but added that all clients would go through a new assessment in order to ascertain their ability to pay. The move is the first review since 2007.