Policy on home care calculations backed

The High Court has given the all-clear for a council to disregard
payments to relatives of disabled people when setting home care
charges.

Evelyn Stephenson, 78 and disabled, claimed Stockton Council’s
policy was “positive discrimination” against her because she was
not from an ethnic minority. The council makes an exception to the
policy if, for “cultural” reasons, some care has to be provided by
family members.

Stephenson pays her daughter £45 a week for providing care.
But this was disregarded in calculations, resulting in her home
care charges doubling to £50 a week.

But Mr Justice Keith ruled that the council had legitimate reasons
for its policy – one of them being the prevention of fraudulent
claims.

The “cultural issues” exception recognised things such as some
disabled people having food prepared by family members, she said.