Dawn Bowden MS, Minister for Children and Social Care
In February 2024, the then Deputy Minister informed Members in a Written Statement that we were launching a consultation to seek views on proposed changes to the weekly maximum charge for adult non-residential care and support services.
Today, I published the Summary of Responses to the Consultation on Charging for Non-residential Care and Support: the weekly maximum charge and updated Integrated Impact Assessment. They can be viewed here.
As highlighted when launching the consultation, we needed to ensure there was a balance between raising additional income for local authorities to help meet increasing cost pressures and being fair and affordable for people who pay for the non-residential care and support services they receive.
The responses to the consultation highlighted concerns around inconsistencies in the operationalising of the charging regime across Local Authorities and the fairness of the current financial means test.
We recognised that this proposal to raise the maximum weekly charge was a departure from our ambition of a National Care Service ‘free at the point of need’, and this remains our longer-term goal and forms a significant element of the first stage of the Initial Implementation Plan for creating a National Care Service.
With careful consideration of consultation responses and the potential impacts, we have decided, there will be three principal areas of focus as a result of the consultation.
Firstly, Welsh Ministers have agreed to maintain the maximum charge at £100 p/w, so no increase will apply at this time.
Secondly, officials will proceed to address inconsistencies in the operationalising of the charging regime across Local Authorities in Wales and consider whether a shared services approach could be undertaken at either a regional or national level.
Finally, Ministers have agreed to allocate £2.5m funding for this year to Local Authorities with £5m next year and thereafter. The additional £5m per year is to reflect that the maximum charge will not be increasing at this time. This will be included in the HLG settlement for 25/26, now agreed by Cabinet, and will be part of the RSG.
We will work with our stakeholders to ensure any developments are shared and wish to thank those who took the time to complete the consultation and share their views.