SWR02 - Financial Savings 2024-25 - Increase the Taper for Non Residential Care Services from 60% to 70%
| Title | SWR02 - Financial Savings 2024-25 - Increase the Taper for Non Residential Care Services from 60% to 70% |
|---|---|
| Council Resource | Social Work |
| Aims and Objectives | This proposal covers all services chargeable under the non-residential charging policy and includes home care, supported living and day services. The charging policy for non-residential care services will continue to be based on an assessment of the service user’s ability to pay towards the cost of care services. In line with previous years, the charging policy in respect of non-residential care services will be amended to reflect the thresholds recommended by COSLA for 2024/2025, effective from April 2024. If the income of service users falls below this threshold, no contribution would be required. In arriving at the contribution payable by service users towards the cost of their care services, a calculation is completed to determine their assessable income (leftover disposable income) to which a percentage taper is then applied. In line with the COSLA guidance for charging, Local Authorities can set the percentage taper. This then determines the maximum level of contribution that the service user will make. The taper is therefore the amount that the Local Authority will take as a contribution from the assessable income towards the cost of care services. The proposal is to increase the taper to 70% from the current 60%. This will only affect the services users who are assessed as having the ability to pay. 574 service users (85%) would be affected by the increase in the taper. The impact of the increase would range from £0 to £34.03 per week and only affects those people who currently have the ability to pay a higher percentage of their disposable income to the Council for services used, up to the value of the services they receive. The impact of the increase is as follows: From To No. of Service Users £0 £5 243 £5.01 £10 100 £10.01 £15 154 £15.01 £20 63 £20.01 £25 10 £25.01 £30 3 £30.01 £35 1 Total 574 Based on the current financial profile of service users, the average increase would be £8.31 per week. The projected increase in income is £0.294m per annum (SLC - £0.147m; IJB - £0.147m). The profile of the South Lanarkshire population is collated from the Office of National Statistics, the Scottish Government and the census and is reported through the Council’s NEXUS system. The following key observations are highlighted for context. • The uptake of services is monitored by age, gender, disability and race. • Over the last 5 years (2016/17-2020/21), South Lanarkshire population’s needs have changed. The population across all age categories has increased by 1.17% over this period. If this rate of growth continues it is projected that there will be a 2.95% increase by 2031. • The latest Mid-Year Population Estimate at June 2020 indicates that the population has grown by +3.1% over the past decade, and there are now 320,820 residents in total. Of this 17.3% are under 16, 62.9% are aged between 16 and 64 and 19.8% are aged 65+. There is an increase in the number of people living longer into older age. Levels of frailty and the number of people with multiple long-term conditions have increased. • Based on the 2011 census, 30.6% of the population identified as having one or more conditions ranging from deafness to a physical or mental health condition. • Currently there is no reliable base line data available in relation to the transgender population in South Lanarkshire, however, the Council is taking steps to amend monitoring to include this characteristic. • The 2011 census data shows that 95.4% of our community identify as coming from a White Scottish or Other British background, 1% identify as White Irish, 0.4% as White Polish and 0.8% as White Other. 1.6% of the population identify as coming from an Asian, Asian .Scottish, or Asian British background and 0.7% identify as from Other ethnic groups. • The 2011 census data informs the Council of the most up to date makeup of the community in relation to religion, belief, or none. 61.3% identify as Christian, 0.8% identify as Muslim, 0.7% identify as Other religions, 30.6% identify as no religion and 6.7% did not state. The figures from the SHS (2019) indicate that 54% of the adult population in South Lanarkshire now identify as Christian, a higher percentage than the Scottish average (where only 41% identify as Christian). A further 1% of the SLC population identify as following another religion (inc Muslim, Hindu). Looking at the trend in terms of religious belief the percentage of the adult population who identify as Christian or as having a belief has been progressively declining in South Lanarkshire (and Scotland) over the past 10 years e.g. back in 2009, 66% of the South Lanarkshire adult population identified as being Christian, and 4% identified as following another religion (inc Muslim, Hindu). • The mid-year population data (2020) indicates that 51.5% of the South Lanarkshire population were female and 48.5% male. In comparison to the population of Scotland as a whole, South Lanarkshire has a slightly higher percentage of females (51.3%) and a lower percentage of males (48.7%). • The latest figures from the Scottish Household Survey suggests that 97% of the South Lanarkshire population identify as being Heterosexual or Straight, while only 2% identify as being either Gay or Bisexual, this finding is in line with the Scottish average. The partnership provides its services based on need regardless of sexual orientation. Where there are LGB related issues these are considered in the planning stage for services so that they can be delivered in an accessible and sensitive manner. |
| Conclusion | The proposal is in line with the principles of the COSLA National Strategy and Guidance on Charges Applying to Non-residential Social Care Services and the Scottish Office Circular SWSG1/1997 which sets out the powers local authorities have to charge for a range of non-residential services. In line with the COSLA guidance for charging, Local Authorities can set the percentage taper. In line with previous years, the charging policy in respect of non-residential care services will also be amended to reflect the thresholds recommended by COSLA for 2024/2025, effective from April 2024. If the income of service users falls below this threshold, no contribution would be required. South Lanarkshire Council reviews this policy on an annual basis. Approved at the Council meeting on 21 February 2024. |
| Completion date | 21 February 2024. |
| Contact Email address | equalities@southlanarkshire.gov.uk |