| Topic: | Re:Re:Hounslow Council to put up council tax next year... | Forum Home |
| Posted by: | Philippa Bond | |
| Date/Time: | 02/12/16 18:12:00 |
| I take it you're not elderly and in receipt of social care. Care companies now have to pay a higher minimum wage - not a living wage - but a new minimum wage. Recently (though I haven't seen it in Hounslow) carers have had to take the companies that they work for to court in order to try and get the minimum wage because they were being short-changed by not being paid for the travelling time between service users when they travel from home to home as part of their work. They are often not paid enough for travel expenses either. I have seen rotas where several service users are listed at the same time in the morning in different parts of town - say for an hour each - to get an elderly person up out of bed, washed, dressed, given some breakfast and medication - something that it is physically impossible to achieve before lunchtime when lunches have to be served on a lunchtime round. Companies tender to Councils for this work and guess what - that keeps the price down and a very poor service continues. Quite a few companies have handed back their contracts to Councils as they are losing too much money.It is shameful that we treat our elderly in this way. We have a growing elderly population and not enough accessible buildings. The Council has closed and sold the Chiswick Day Centre for example. There is a game of out of sight out of mind going on. For political reasons no Government or Council likes to raise taxes because they like to curry favour with their electorate/residents. It would be better if it did. If you read the info regarding the raise you will see that the Government stipulated last year that they would allow Councils to raise Council Tax a certain amount but it would have to be ring-fenced for social care. They can only raise it a certain small percentage anyway without being penalised by Government. |