Kent County Council: £280,000 owed in overpaid social care fees

Kent County Council owes £280,000 to people after they were overcharged for social care

Kent Council Council (KCC) owes £280,000 to 1,100 people due to overpaid social care fees, an investigation has found.

KCC had overcharged adults - discovered after an anonymous complaint was made.

A woman said she had been charged incorrectly, following legal reforms made by the government last year.

KCC have now put a short-term solution in place to address the issue, which includes refunds for those who have been overcharged.

But, around 950 people living in Kent could now face extra charges from underpayments made to KCC, according the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

The cost to the county council is estimated to be £280,000 from April 2022 to April 2023.

The new plan

Last year, a social care reform plan was announced by the government which bought in a lifetime cap an individual spends on personal care.

This meant a more generous "means-test" was made for local authority financial support.

However, there was some confusion over the criteria for charging adults for use of residential and home care.

This led to KCC seeking legal advice and it was found guidance had been misinterpreted after clarification from the Department for Health and Social Care.

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Claire Bell, KCC's cabinet member for public health, said: "I do not think it's fair we should suffer all the ramifications."

A consultation is due to take place with individuals affected.

The outcome of the consultation will be analysed by council officers and any required changes made by KCC's cabinet at a later date.

KCC has been approached for comment.

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