Proposals for the review of social care charges

Why we are proposing changes

The law says councils can ask people who use care and support services to pay towards the cost. North Tyneside Council follows these rules. We want to make sure everyone is charged fairly, based on what care they need and what they can afford.

We review our policy every year. We are planning two changes for 2026/27. These changes will help us keep supporting people in North Tyneside who can’t pay for their own care.

The changes will also mean people in North Tyneside will be charged in the same way as people in other neighbouring local authority areas

You can read our current charging policy here. The Government’s guidance is also available here.

Please submit your responses by 7 January 2026.

Change 1: How we count disability-related costs

Right now:
When we work out how much you pay for care at home, we automatically take £10 off your weekly costs. This means you pay £10 less each week. The idea is that this £10 helps with extra costs linked to a disability, like special food, equipment, or extra heating.

What we want to change:
Instead of giving everyone the same £10 discount, we would look at your actual extra costs and adjust what you pay based on that. Some people might get more than £10 off, and some might get less.

Do you agree with working out each person’s real disability costs, instead of always using £10 a week?

Select option

Use the comments box below to tell us why you have given the answer in Question 1:

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Change 2: Minimum Income Guarantee (MIG)

The Government sets a Minimum Income Guarantee (MIG). This is the lowest amount of money you must have left after paying for care, to cover things like food and bills. At the moment, we let you keep 5% more than the Government’s amount.

We are thinking about changing this, so you keep just the Government’s set amount. This would help make sure the Council can continue to support everyone who needs care, now and in the future.

For example, for 2025/26, these are the weekly MIG amounts (these may change in April 2026):

Do you think North Tyneside Council should use the Minimum Income Guarantee (MIG) set by the government?

Select option

Use the comments box below to tell us why you have given the answer in Question 3:

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About You

Answering the following questions is optional, but by doing so you will help us ensure we are improving our services and facilities to meet the needs of all residents. The information you provide is confidential and will only be used by North Tyneside Council to analyse the data by groups of people

What is your sex?

(Choose any one option)

Female

Male

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What is your age

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16 - 24

25-34

35-44

45-54

55-64

65-74

75-84

85 and over

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Do you have any physical or mental health conditions or illnesses that last or are expected to last 12 months or more?

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Yes

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