Decision details

Cabinet received a report which was submitted following a motion moved by Councillor John Fox, the Council’s Armed Forces Community Champion, to Full Council on 14 October 2015, which has its origins in the Royal British Legions ‘Insult to Injury’ campaign.

The purpose of the report was to seek approval from Cabinet for a proposed change to the Council’s Adult Social Care Charging Policy in response to Councillor Fox’s motion.

Cabinet considered the report and motion as moved by Councillor John Fox, as unanimously supported by Council at the meeting held on 14 October 2015, and RESOLVED:

1.    To approve that the Adult Social Care Charging Policy be amended to fully disregard the war disablement pension in the social care financial assessment, effective from February 2016, in accordance with the motion moved by Councillor Fox; and

2.    To support the Local Government Association’s call for additional funding to be provided by Central Government to ensure that such a policy change is financially sustainable.

The proposed changes to the charging policy would ensure that the Council’s approach to the treatment of military compensation:

·         Recognised the sacrifice of those injured in service;

·         Was equitable, fair, and consistent with the treatment of other forms of compensation;

·         Rectified a widely-perceived anomaly;

·         Was within the Council’s discretion, and 

·         Had a negligible/low financial impact. 

The alternative options considered were:

a.     To leave the charging policy unchanged in respect of its treatment of War Disability Pension.

This was rejected since there was a widely held view that there was an anomaly in the treatment of military compensation that required rectifying, and the will of the Council had been clearly expressed that such a rectification should be considered locally.

b.     To reduce care charges even further for those injured in military service.

This option was also rejected since this would have caused a further loss of revenue to the Council at a time of extreme financial pressure. Also, the recommended option was in accordance with the campaigning stance of the Royal British Legion, and the views of the Local Government Association.

None.

Care and Support Statutory Guidance – issued under the Care Act 2014, Department of Health