Residents’ views sought on budget savings to adult social care

01 October 2025

text on blue background reads 'have your say on minimum income guarantee'

Nearly 2700 residents have been contacted directly.

A consultation seeking residents views on possible budget savings in adult social care has been launched, with nearly 2700 residents contacted directly.

The survey asks residents who receive care services from Wirral Council how they would be impacted by the potential removal of a discretionary allowance that the council has given as an additional benefit to residents for the last 10 years, over and above a set government rate.

If the change is implemented, this would mean the council would be aligning its rate with the government’s ‘Minimum Income Guarantee’. The Minimum Income Guarantee (MIG) is the amount of money set by national government that an individual must be left with to meet day to day living costs after their care charge is calculated, and is there to pay for things like food, toiletries and utility bills.

Removing the extra allowance would bring Wirral into line with other Cheshire and Merseyside Councils.

At the 16 September 2025 Adult Social Care and Public Health Committee meeting, councillors agreed that residents who would be affected by potential changes to the MIG should be consulted.

Cllr Graeme Cooper, Chair of Wirral’s Adult Social Care and Public Health Committee, said:

For more than 10 years, the council has been subsidising people by providing a discretionary buffer higher than the nationally agreed MIG. But maintaining this buffer is becoming increasingly difficult.
This consultation seeks to hear the views of residents who receive care, and those who support them, on how possible changes to the minimum income guarantee would impact them. No changes will be made until a consultation has taken place, and council officers and councillors have had time to understand the responses. The final decision is expected to be made early next year.
If you receive social care and have received a survey in the post, please fill it out and send it back to the council. People can also respond online and by phone. The more people who take part, the more useful the results will be.

If implemented, the changes could mean some residents would be required to pay between around £2 to £50 more for their care per week, depending on their financial circumstances and on the services they receive. If changes are approved, the council will work with residents who are affected to carry out new assessments of costs to ensure that they are claiming all benefits to which they may be entitled.

The consultation will run from 1 October 2025 to 11 November 2025.

Residents who receive non-residential care have been sent a letter explaining the consultation, together with a survey and a pre-paid envelope. Individuals are asked to return completed questionnaires by Tuesday 11 November 2025.

Those who prefer to complete the consultation online can do so via the council’s Have Your Say platform. The consultation can also be completed by phone. All Wirral residents are welcome to complete the survey, regardless of whether they receive social care or not.

Access the consultation here: https://haveyoursay.wirral.gov.uk/mig-consultation.

Additional information:

Accessibility and assistance filling out the consultation

While residents receiving care should receive a printed copy of the questionnaire to complete, there’s lot of help available. Individuals may request a version in a different language, larger print or an easy-read format. And support is available for those who would prefer to complete the survey by telephone or in person. If you would like to make a request or if you have any questions, then please get in touch:

For requests and support completing this survey: