'Ditch the double standards' councillors urged over their expenses and care fees
An investigation has found the amount north Wales councillors can claim for overnight expenses is often double the amount councils spend on a person’s nightly care home fees.
In north and mid Wales, the rate per night paid by local authorities for a person’s residential care can vary between £60.57 in Powys to £75.43 in Conwy.
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But if councillors are away on official business, they can claim up to £95 a night for overnight accommodation and £28 for meals – totalling £123.
Figures emerged following a report by Care Forum Wales, the body that represents nearly 500 private care businesses.
The document notes a “curious disparity that some might see as a case of double standards,” urging newly re-elected councillors to review care home fees “on the basis of fairness”.
Meanwhile, councillors can also claim travelling expenses, including 5p a mile for car passengers and 20p a mile for those using a bicycle.
In addition, they can receive up to £403 a month for the cost of providing care for children, elderly or disabled relatives while they’re on council business.
Mary Wimbury, Care Forum Wales’ senior policy advisor, said: “We certainly don’t begrudge councillors the right to claim legitimate expenses while on official duties.
“Far from it. Councillors do an important job and they must be properly reimbursed and supported.
“But it seems only fair that as a society we provide a similar adequate level of funding for social care for the most vulnerable people in our communities.”
Of the region’s councils, Denbighsire’s rate per night is the second lowest at £72.43, followed by Gwynedd who spend £72.49.
Anglesey’s outlay, meanwhile, is £73.88 with Ceredigion spending £74,29, Flintshire £75.27 and Wrexham £75.29.
Ms Wimbury said: “It seems to me only right that a councillor, who has expenses quite properly to deal with council business, should not be having more than it pays for a profoundly frail older person who has been assessed as needing that care.
“Councillors are reimbursed for real costs and the point we would make is that social care providers are also having to deal with very real costs.
“Nursing care involves paying a nurse to be on the premises 24./7 and staff will need to help, dressing, washing and sometimes moving and feeding residents as well as dealing with incontinence. “This level of care is way above and beyond the cost of accommodation and food for a councillor.
“We have surely got our priorities wrong and something needs to change because local authorities have looked after their elected members first and foremost.
“You could not reasonably expect registered providers to continue to provide the sort of enhanced care services required under the Social Care and Wellbeing Act for less than some elected councillor gets for one night’s stay.
“We are calling on councillors to have another look at this issue and Welsh Government to support that. At the end of the day, it is a matter of basic fairness and what is right and proper.”
The Daily Post has contacted the Welsh Local Government Association to respond to the report’s findings.
