Dear Sir It is becoming increasingly apparent that the proposals contained in the government s Personal Care at Home Bill are unclear, unfunded and are likely to have a significant impact on existing local services; including possible cuts and rises in c

Dear Sir

It is becoming increasingly apparent that the proposals contained in the government's Personal Care at Home Bill are unclear, unfunded and are likely to have a significant impact on existing local services; including possible cuts and rises in council tax.

We fully support the principle of providing additional support to those with the most critical care needs. What we cannot support, however, is a piece of legislation that has major weaknesses and which risks adding further strain to an existing system already under considerable financial pressure.

Specifically, we believe that the government has significantly underestimated the likely numbers eligible for this support and also the likely cost of each care package.

Indeed, research carried out by the Association of Directors of Adult Social Services (ADASS) across 61 local authorities shows that the average cost of care is about �200 per week; substantially greater than the �103 per week estimated by the government.

At this level the cost to local authorities would amount to around �580m per annum as opposed to the �250m assumed in the proposals. Local authorities are already required to deliver 4% efficiency savings next year and the savings needed to fund this policy would be on top of this.

We also have major doubts over how the government intends to fund this scheme. It has failed to elaborate on where its own contribution will come from whilst appearing to be reliant on savings, that may either be non-existent or may well have already been allocated elsewhere, from councils. This, of course, does not address subsequent years where even greater restrictions in public spending will apply.

It is also wrong to raise expectations amongst many of the most vulnerable in our society and their families that they may be in a position to benefit from these proposals when the reality may be significantly different.

We are therefore calling for the government to commission urgently an independent review of these proposals, including an analysis of the financial position, before progressing any further.

Yours faithfully

Cllr David Finch, Essex County Council Cabinet Member for Adults, Health & Community Wellbeing

Cllr Richard Smith, Hertfordshire County Council Executive Member for Adult Care & Health

Cllr Graham Gibbens, Kent County Council Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care

Cllr Fred Yeulett, Cambridgeshire County Council Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care, Health and Wellbeing

Cllr Colin Noble, Suffolk County Council Portfolio Holder for Adult and Community Services

Cllr David Sprason, Leicestershire County Council Cabinet Member for Adults and Communities

Cllr Matthew Ellis, Staffordshire County Council Cabinet Member for Adults and Welllbeing

Cllr Michael Gosling, Surrey County Council Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care

Cllr Ann Gerrard, Halton Borough Council Executive Member for Health and Social Care

Cllr Simon Jones, Shropshire Council Portfolio Holder for Adult Services

Cllr Barry MacLeod-Cullinane, London Borough of Harrow Portfolio Holder for Adults and Housing

Cllr Graham Arthur, London Borough of Bromley Portfolio Holder for Adults and Community Services

Cllr Sue Anderson, Birmingham City Council Cabinet Member for Adults and Communities

Cllr Roy Smith, Warrington Borough Council Executive Member for Health and Wellbeing

Cllr Tony Hicks Gloucestershire County Council Lead Cabinet Member for Community and Adult Care

Cllr Neil Bent, Tobay Council Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care & Housing

Cllr Martin Davies, London Borough of Camden Executive member for adult social care & health

Cllr David Renard, Swindon Borough Council Cabinet Member for Health, Housing and Adult Social Care

Cllr Elaine Atkinson, Borough of Poole Cabinet Portfolio Holder for Health, Social Care, Housing and Equalities

Cllr Stephen Greenhalgh, London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham Lead Member for Adult Social Care

Cllr Michael Young, Trafford Council Executive Member for Adult Social Care and Health

Cllr Mark Reen, London Borough of Ealing Portfolio Holder for Health and Adult Services

Cllr Pamela Fisher, London Borough of Hounslow Executive Leader Member for Adult Social Care and Health

Cllr Les Pugh, Wolverhampton City Council Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care

Cllr David Foster, Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council Deputy Leader and Executive Member Adult Social Care

Cllr Barbara McCracken, Walsall MBC Cabinet member for Social Care and Inclusion

Cllr Hugh Rees, Rutland County Council Portfolio Holder for Adult Social Care

Cllr Simon Dudley, The Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead Cabinet Member for Adult and Community Services

Cllr Jim Maddan, Wandsworth Borough Council Cabinet Member for Adult Social Services

Cllr Ivan White, Southampton City Council Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care and Health

Cllr David Lee, Leader of Wokingham Borough Council

Cllr Robin Brown, Northamptonshire County Council Cabinet member for Health & Adult Social Services

Cllr Mike Calvert, Lancashire County Council Cabinet Member for Adult & Community Services

Cllr Brian Lord, Oldham Council Cabinet Member for Adult Services and Health

Cllr Dr. David Salter, Plymouth City Council Cabinet Member for Adult Health & Social Care

Cllr Ken Norman, Brighton and Hove City Council Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care and Health

Cllr Dale Birch, Bracknell Forest Council Executive Member for Adult Services, Health and Housing.

Cllr Philip Gretton, Worcestershire County Council Cabinet Member for Adult & Community Services

Cllr Stephen Baker, Hull City Council Cabinet Member for Adult Services, Health and Equalities and Diversity

Cllr Philip Corthorne, Hillingdon Council Cabinet Member for Social Services, Health and Housing

Cllr Brenda Dowding, Cheshire West & Chester Borough Council Executive Member for Adult Social Care & Health

Cllr Antonia Noble, Gloucestershire County Council Cabinet Member - Community and Adult Care

Cllr Charles Jones, Derbyshire County Council Cabinet Member for Adult Care

Cllr Chris Metcalfe, North Yorkshire County Council Executive Member Adult and Community Services

Cllr Armand Toms, Cornwall Council Cabinet Member Adult Social Care

Cllr Simon Reed, Northumberland County Council Executive Member for Adult Care and Wellbeing

Cllr Jim Couchman, Oxfordshire County Council Cabinet Member for Adult Services

Cllr Graham Marsh, Lincolnshire County Council Executive councillor Adult Social care and Supporting People

Cllr Lesley Faulkner, Dudley M.B.C. Cabinet Member for Adult and Community Services

Cllr Liz Phillips, London Borough Waltham Forest Cabinet Member Health, Adults and Older people

Cllr Emma Lewell, South Tyneside Council Lead member for Independent and Healthy Lives

Cllr Dale Mulgrew, Rochdale MBC Portfolio Holder for Health & Social Care

Cllr Peter Catchpole, West Sussex County Council Cabinet member Adult services

Cllr Lorna Campbell, London Borough of Lambeth Cabinet Member for Health and Wellbeing

Cllr Bill Bentley, East Sussex County Council Lead Member for Adult Social Care

Cllr Keith Glazier, East Sussex County Council Lead Member for Children's and Adults' Services

Cllr Barry Goldbart, Bournemouth Borough Council cabinet Member for Adult Services

Cllr Morris Nicholls, Durham County Council Portfolio Holder for Adult Services and Wellbeing

Cllr Richard Harrap, East Riding of Yorkshire Council, Portfolio Holder - Adult & Carer Services

Cllr John Thomson, Wiltshire Council Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Adult Care, Communities and Libraries

Cllr Amanda Arnold, Thurrock Unitary Authority Portfolio Holder for Adult Social Care

Cllr Chris Williams, Milton Keynes Council Cabinet Member for Housing and Adult Social Care

Cllr Jonathan Morley, City of York Council Executive Member for Housing and Adult Social Services

Cllr Malcolm Morland, North East Lincolnshire Council, Portfolio Holder - Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care

Cllr Jacqui Seymour, Telford and Wrekin Borough Council Cabinet Member for Adult Care and Support

Cllr Nigel Ashton, North Somerset Council Leader of the Council and Executive Member for Adult Social Care

Cllr Heather Johnson, Coventry City Council Cabinet Member for Community Services

Cllr John Pantall, Stockport MBC Executive Member, Adults and Health

Cllr Patricia Schofield. Doncaster Metropolitan Borough Council Cabinet member Adult Services

Cllr Suzanne Knight, St Helens Council Deputy Leader and Executive Member for Adult Social Care & Health

Cllr Roland M. Domleo, Cheshire East Council Cabinet Member For Adult Services

Cllr R.Sleigh - Solihull MBC Deputy Leader, Cabinet Member Healthier Communities

Cllr Beverly Sullivan, Bury Council Executive for Health and Wellbeing

Cllr Bev Knott, Bristol City Council Cabinet member for Care and Neighbourhoods

Cllr Christine Lawrence, Somerset County Council Cabinet Member for Communities

Cllr Dale Smith, City of Bradford Metropolitan District Council Portfolio Holder - Adult Social Care

Cllr Flewitt, Southend on Sea Borough Council Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care, Health & Housing

Cllr Norma Wright, Sunderland City Council Cabinet Member for Healthy City

Cllr Carole Hegley, Central Bedfordshire Council Portfolio Holder Social Care and Health