Cost of home care in Cardiff set to increase again

Ted Peskett, local democracy reporter

Some people in Cardiff could be paying nearly £60 more per week to receive care at home following a review of social care charges in Wales.

Service users have already seen the cost of domiciliary care go up after the city council approved plans to increase the hourly rate from £10 to £16 as part of its budget for 2024-25.

The Welsh Government is now set to increase the maximum amount that local authorities can charge for non-residential social care – a rise that could be between £15 and £25.

Cardiff Council supported an increase of the maximum from £100 to £125 as part of a consultation process and its cabinet members approved plans to apply the new maximum as soon as possible after the date of the Welsh Government’s decision.

Worried

Age Cymru is worried about the potential increases in care costs, according to its chief executive, Victoria Lloyd.

She said: “We’re worried that about potential increases in care costs could lead to some older people reducing or even cancelling the support services that are currently keeping them safe and well.

“We recognise the cost pressures faced by local authorities, however, many older people live on low, fixed incomes, and are already facing higher food and energy bills as well as significant hikes in council tax.”

The highest increase that someone could face in Cardiff if they are affected by the budget change and a potential maximum of £125 per week is £58.64 extra per week, according to a council report.

The report, presented to cabinet members at a meeting on Thursday, July 18, also states 50 service users could see their weekly charge increase by £30 and £39.

Some peoples’ charges will be lower than the maximum amount if the financial assessments of individual service users shows they can’t afford to pay it or if the cost of providing the care is less than the maximum amount.

Impacts

Ms Lloyd added: “Increases could have significant impacts on older people’s wellbeing by making care more expensive and impacting the funds individuals have to cover other increasing costs.

“It may also create additional pressures for both health and social care further down the line. The social care system and the way we pay for care both need fundamental change.

“Seeking to raise additional money from those who need care will do little to achieve the investment needed to transform services.”

If the Welsh Government makes its decision by the end of July, the new maximum amount will apply from September and take effect from October.

As part of its budget setting process for 2024-25, Cardiff Council agreed to double the hourly rate for domiciliary care as part of a phased programme of two years.

The cost of care went up from £10.21 to £16.38 from April 2024 and a further increase will take place from April 2025.

At the time, the council said most other local authorities in Wales already charge more than £20 per hour.

The cost of providing care for councils across the country is going up along with demand for services and Cardiff Council said the proposed £125 maximum amount better reflects the rate of inflation since it was last raised in 2020.

At that time, the Welsh Government increased the maximum amount from £90.