Thurrock Council is to introduce new charges for a series of services it provides for the elderly and disabled.
As well as increasing its home care charge from £8.65 a week to an £11.10 average, the council is bringing in fees for services which are provided free at the moment.
These include transporting people to and from day centres - 25p each way up to a maximum of £1 a week, day care activities - £1 each, and £10 for each issue of equipment supplied or fitted during a 90-day time-span.
The decision, taken at last Thursday's cabinet meeting, sparked anger from the Thurrock Disability Network and did not receive united support from cabinet members.
The proposals had originally been backed a year earlier, but changes to Government guidelines on charging forced the council to delay its implementation and make some changes to its initial scheme, including a 25 per cent charge "buffer above income support" levels to protect those on the lowest income.
Published Thursday, March 14, 2002
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