Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the effect of councils charging fees to undertake needs assessments for adult social care on people with social care needs; and if he will make a statement.

The Care Act 2014 gives local authorities the power to charge for meeting needs for care and support or support but does not give them the power to charge for carrying out a needs assessment. The Care and Support Statutory Guidance makes clear that local authorities must not charge people for a needs assessment or the preparation of a care and support plan since these processes do not constitute meeting needs.