An amazing ‘lottery’ over home help charges in the south west has been uncovered in a Western Daily Press investigation.

The probe showed the cost of 12 hours of care varies between £25.80 and £96.60 depending on where you live. And these are the prices charged by local authorities in each area.

It hits the population in the West particularly hard because the area has the biggest proportion of pensioners – at 21.1 percent – than any other region.

Now MPs are calling for action to change the system in the wake of what the Press has labelled a “scandal”.

The thorough Press survey found that the amount elderly disabled people in similar financial circumstances would pay for 12 hours of care a week was:

• £25.80 in South Gloucestershire;
• £31.50 in Bristol;
• £52.80 in Bath & North East Somerset;
• £63 in North Somerset;
• £78 in Gloucestershire;
• £91.20 in Swindon;
• £92.40 in Wiltshire ;
• £93.60 in Herefordshire;
• £96 in Somerset;
• £96.60 in Dorset.

Home help is assistance with shopping, cleaning and personal care, such as bathing and dressing, for the disabled, who are usually the elderly.

The paper explained: “Some of the variation is explained by the higher cost of delivering social services in rural areas, such as in Dorset, Somerset and Herefordshire.

“Some councils such as Bristol and South Gloucestershire charge lower fees but have higher council tax rates.”

The row follows an Audit Commission report that found variations in what people are charged and asked the Government to provide more guidance to local authorities.

Pensioners and disabled people on State benefits are entitled to lower home help charges, with some able to claim help free-of-charge.

But those with savings of more than £16,000 can expect to pay the full charges.

Age Concern Somerset manager John Hooley told the Press: “If the charges were substantially reduced, it would enable people to have longer periods of care as opposed to just one or two hours a week.”

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