Pensioners in Essex face having to pay more than £25,000 a year to live in council-run homes.

Delays in selling off nine council-owned homes and a controversial new staffing structure have left Essex County Council needing to impose a 12 per cent increase in the cost of living in the council's remaining homes.

But the planned increase - which will be discussed by Essex County Council's social services committee tomorrow - has sparked outrage at County Hall.

The "standard charge" increase would leave pensioners having to fork out nearly £2,900 extra each year to cover their care costs.

Residents placed in local authority-run old people's homes have to pay a "standard charge" for their accommodation unless they can prove they cannot afford the full amount.

Now councillors will have to decide whether to approve the new standard charge of £486.50 per week - which is the equivalent of £25,298 per year. Last year the standard charge was £432.04, or £22,466 each year.

A Labour spokesman said today: "This is why we would not support the Tory budget. We have resigned from control of the council because of the pain being inflicted on the elderly of Essex.

"This is just the first consequence of a disgraceful budget."

Neither a Liberal Democrat nor Conservative spokesman was available for comment today.

The only way of escaping the prospective £25,000-a-year bill is by filling in a means form proving an inability to pay the full amount.

Anyone with capital of more than £16,000 - including the value of their home - has to pay the full amount. Those with between £10,000 and £16,000 pay a reduced rate, and people with less than £10,000 pay nothing.

People with an income equal to, or more than, the weekly care home charge, have to pay the full amount.

Rachel Fahie, spokeswoman for Age Concern in Colchester, said the increase was part of a trend. She added: "There is a price for everything."

She said with the homes for the elderly not yet sold it was understandable that the charge would have to be increased.

In his report to the county council's social services committee Mike Leadbetter, director of social services, said revised staffing levels and pay increases had forced the rise in the standard charge.

He added delays in selling older people's homes in Essex had also led to the increased standard charge.

Earlier this year, changes in staffing structures at council-run homes came under fire after expected savings of £780,000 failed to materialise.

At the time Joe Pike, Tory spokesman on the social services committee, branded the changes in staff structure "a total and utter waste of money".

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