£20-a-week charge will affect families

Disabled people being looked after by relatives will soon have to pay for their carers to take a break.

Oxfordshire's social services committee has taken the reluctant step of introducing the new charges because it cannot afford to run the 'relief to carers' service.

The service supplies a care assistant to look after the sick or disabled person in order to allow the carer time for themselves. Under current arrangement support is provided free of charge for a maximum of 12 hours a month.

But yesterday's social services committee decided that from next month, anyone benefiting from the service will be assessed to contribute up to £20 a week towards the cost of their care.

Green county councillor Sushila Dhall, argued against the proposals saying: "People do not chose to become carers.

"This is a tax on those that have no choice but to take care of their dependants.

"Twelve hours' care per month, or an average of three hours per week, is the amount of time you need to do the shopping, have a haircut or have a walk to get away from the stress." Cllr Keith Mitchell, who chaired the meeting, said: "I know this is one of the hardest things we have done."

Larry Sanders, a representative of the Oxfordshire Carers' Forum, said: "I think it will cause tremendous problems for the most vulnerable people in the county.

"We're talking about whole families unable to work, people living on benefits. "A large proportion will stop using services. The main consequence will be an unbelievable hardship for carers of never having single minute free of care.

Mr Sanders added: "Some will go under and be unable to continue caring."

Around 300 people will be assessed for the new charges, although there will a waiver scheme for those unable to afford the payments.

The charges are necessary for the committee to reach its savings target of £206,000.

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