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Post by Denise on Mar 23, 2011 15:46:55 GMT
Homecare providers welcome Chancellor’s cut in fuel duty and personal tax allowance increase The homecare sector’s leading representative body, United Kingdom Homecare Association, has welcomed the Chancellor’s decision to cut fuel duty and to delay further duty increases, as it will help ease the cost pressures on home-based care. The Association says that soaring fuel prices are having a severe impact on care workers who often rely on their cars to deliver care to frail and elderly people. Fuel prices have a disproportionate effect on homecare workers, as they not only have to travel to and from work, but between service users’ homes. Bridget Warr, Chief Executive of UKHCA, said: “The combination of rising cost of fuel prices and local authority cost-cutting risks homecare providers becoming unable to obtain an economically viable price for care that would still allow them to deliver the high quality expected by their clients. We therefore welcome the Chancellor’s decision to cut fuel duty by 1p and to delay further duty increases. “However, this will only provide limited succour to providers. Significant price reductions demanded by many councils continue to impact on providers. Only last week, we had to write to the Home Office to express our concern over the decision to increase the cost of enhanced criminal record checks for care workers by 22% from the 6th April.”
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