Claims a plan to charge carers for support would force the elderly and vulnerable into poverty has been rejected by the leader of Redbridge council. 

The authority currently provides free help to carers who require support themselves, typically elderly people caring for a spouse. 

Conservatives Cllr Paul Canal, Tory group leader, and Ilford North MP Lee Scott last week denounced the proposal, which would see carers pay for their own care, as a “disgrace”.

But Cllr Jas Athwal said means testing would ensure the most vulnerable carers were still supported.

He said the council also put an extra £2.6million into social care in the budget agreed last Thursday.

Cllr Athwal said: “As a result of substantial reductions in our funding from central government to deliver services, we are faced with a significant budget shortfall which we must to address.

“We have been open and honest about this with residents and are having to make some very difficult decisions while at the same time trying to protect frontline services.

“The implementation of charges to carers who are currently in receipt of home care packages or direct payments to help with their role, is one of the many budget proposals put forward to provide income to assist with the budget deficit.

“We recognise the hard work and essential help carers give and a range of non-chargeable services has been on offer to help the carers with their responsibilities.

“For many years now, in line with good practice, we have been assessing the needs of carers to establish what help they need to provide care.

“However we have not made an assessment of carers’s means in relation to charges.

“Carers will be now be entitled to an assessment of need in their own right.

“It is very clear that the proposal is a means tested charge (£13.55p per hour being the maximum charge) where some carers may have to pay, if anything, a minimal sum depending on their income and other benefits.

“The reason for this being means tested is so it won’t affect our most vulnerable people.

“Despite our financial outlook we are continuing to invest in our most vulnerable adults.”