Scottish Councils may have to refund £20m to pensioners who have been wrongly charged for assistance with meal preparation following legal advice on the free personal care legislation.
The City of Edinburgh Council says it will reimburse 820 pensioners by the end of March, with repayments totalling over £2m, following legal advice it requested from an advocate. In 2002, the Scottish Parliament made personal care free for older people receiving home care support and residential care, but Scottish Executive guidance stated Councils could charge for meal preparation tasks for older people at home. This part of the guidance was subsequently withdrawn, but a further letter in May 2006 appeared to suggest Councils could still charge. The City of Edinburgh Council says the ...
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