CHARGES for social care have lead some people to stop using day services, a care provider has revealed.

Kat Sowden, managing director of Persona Care and Support, told the health scrutiny committee that the council-owned company has lost customers as a result of the charges.

There are now 28 fewer people with using day care services than there were at the beginning of the year.

A total of six people stated that they stopped using services because they were put off by the new charges.

These customers left the Grundy and Pinfold Lane day centres as well as Learning Disability day services as a direct result of the fees.

Bury Council implemented the charges in May this year to comply with national legislation.

A council spokesman said: “The introduction of a day care charge was to ensure that customers were charged in a fair and consistent way, irrespective of how they receive their care support services. All other forms of day support services are subject to charging.

"Introducing a day care attendance charge brings consistency of charges across day support services, meaning people are not having to pay more because they have chosen to meet their needs in a different way.

"The result of the changes has led to a mixture of outcomes: residents who pay nothing, those who pay part of the cost, or those who pay the full cost depending on their circumstances and whether they are willing to have a financial assessment.

“All customers who receive a package of care are offered a financial assessment to help with the costs of these services.

“The financial assessment rules are set for the Department of Health and Social care, as detailed in the Care Act 2014."

Most other Greater Manchester councils have been charging for day care services for a number of years, according to Bury Council.

In Bury, the maximum charge for day care services is £39 per day, among the highest in the region.

All customers who attend day care received a letter explaining the implications of this charge to them.