CARE providers in the county are getting a 10 per cent bonus this month to offset additional costs from the coronavirus pandemic but there are fears it is not nearly enough.

A letter confirming the payment was sent by Oxfordshire County Council earlier this month to care homes, care agencies and those who receive direct payments to commission their own care, in 'recognition of the cost pressures caused by Covid-19'.

It is designed to cover the expense of increased workloads, higher staff sickness absence rates, higher administration costs, and purchasing extra personal protective equipment (PPE).

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The payment, which was sent out last week, is set for review before the end of April.

John Paine, who lives in Summertown and is secretary for the National Pensioners Convention, Oxfordshire, said the extra cash was 'likely to be totally inadequate', explaining: "Care homes and care service providers have a high percentage of staff off work through self-isolation due to Covid-19 potential symptoms, or members of their household having to self-isolate.

"Sourcing of PPE is a major problem for them, if any can be obtained."

A council spokesperson said central government had provided funding to local government throughout England to 'strengthen support arrangements' given to people vulnerable to Covid-19, including those needing social care, adding: "Locally and nationally we have been very aware of concerns from care homes about incurring additional business costs to enable them to deliver services safely.

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“In response to this Oxfordshire County Council has agreed to pay providers and people with direct payments an additional sum of money on a monthly basis.

"This will equate to 10 per cent of the total average monthly payment to them from December 2019 to February 2020.

"The county council also has a sustainability fund in to which bids can be made. It should be noted that only one-third of the funding for care homes in Oxfordshire comes from county council placements.”

The council's letter warned providers may need to provide evidence in the future of the use of the funding to support Covid-19 costs, adding: "We reserve the right to recover funding where that is considered necessary."

The 10 per cent figure is based on recommendations by the Local Government Association and Association of Directors of Adult Social Care Services earlier this month.

This recommendation was criticised at the time by Vic Rayner, executive director of the National Care Forum saying it 'completely underestimates' the true cost to care providers.

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She said: "It is woefully inadequate and provides little comfort for those providers who are working night and day to support the most vulnerable members of our communities.

"Care providers need the support of local government to cover the very significant additional challenges and escalating costs of workforce, PPE and supporting the discharge of vulnerable people from hospital into care homes and the wider community.”

One of those who received the county council's letter was Tim Treuherz who has Multiple Sclerosis.

He said: "I am in a wheelchair and I rely on carers. We (my family) rely on carers.

"The care agency I use is providing personal protective equipment to its carers and I can’t complain about that.

"The local authority would find it pretty much impossible now to find replacements in the event that a care agency went under."

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The county council letter went on to say it will not process any further general claims under its Service Sustainability Fund, set up as an initial measure to help with increased costs in social care.

It added: "We appreciate that times are difficult now. We will continue to respond to exceptional circumstances including where a provider is experiencing issues with on-going financial viability and is deemed to be ‘at risk’ of failure.

"In such a case we will work with the relevant provider on an open book accounting basis to agree what action can be taken to support them.

"This is something we have done in the past and it is something we will continue to do in the future."

The letter also said it knew providers were 'struggling to source' PPE and this was adding to costs, saying: "We are working hard alongside colleagues from the Thames Valley Local Resilience Forum to make sure that PPE flows into the county for emergency situations."

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It said supplies the council had were limited and only for emergency use, warning: "Where emergencies require that the council needs to assist with the provision of PPE a charge will be deducted from future payments."

Local Government Secretary Robert Jenrick announced last week councils across England would be given an extra £1.6bn in funding to deal with the coronavirus crisis.

It followed a warning many faced financial failure if they had to shoulder the burden alone.

Another £850m in social care grants will be paid up front this month, in the hope of reducing the immediate pressures on local authority cash flows.