Issue - meetings

            The following public question had been received:

“In 2016 (pre pandemic) HBC made the decision to reduce Carers breaks by 50%, this decision has not been reviewed, but has resulted in large underspends in carers break funding year on year, which has meant hundreds of thousands of pounds of carers funding has then been redirected to fill gaps in Adult Social Care.  Is this bad management or a deliberate policy? Not to spend carers funding is inexcusable, to do so year on year is not defensible.  The 6,000 registered carers in Halton deserve a response.”

The following response was provided:

Halton Borough Council did not reduce the Carers respite funding in 2016. Expenditure in 2015/16 was £445,206. Expenditure in 2016/17 was £394,583.

The allocated budgets across these 2 years remained the same, a reduction in expenditure was seen in relation to Direct Payments, £41,000 and in voluntary sector grant application of £6,000.  As can be seen within the Carers Respite Finance report, the allocated budget for Carers Respite in 2022/23 was circa. £428k and represents a 9% increase in budget from 2019/20.

Spend against these allocated budgets does fluctuate dependent on activity / demand, but is not as a result of a deliberate policy by Halton Borough Council.