Charity slams care home fee hike proposal
A petition against increases in music fees was handed in to Perth and Kinross Council in August
“The proposal from Perth and Kinross Council to increase its residential care rates will make it far less affordable for many older people who are selffunding or are just above the threshold for financial support.
“The cost of residential social care is already hugely expensive and it could make it more difficult for older people needing residential care to access the home they wish to live in.”
Meanwhile, a proposal to increase music tuition fees for school pupils from £245 to £817 in a bid to claw back £392,000 was also criticised.
The key figureheads of three Perth and Kinross youth music groups have voiced their fears that pupils will be priced out of music lessons.
Perth Youth Orchestra (PYO) committee member, Susannah Rae, Young Musicians Parents Association (YMPA) member Joan Hay, and Perth and Kinross Music Foundation (PKMF) trustee Andrew Mitchell spoke out against the proposal claiming it will cause “untold anxieties for the children and their tutors”.
A statement released on behalf of the trio said: “Bills for instrumental music tuition increased by 20 per cent last year leading to a steep increase in applications to PKMF from families in need of help with music fees.
“The children most affected by the increase are working families whose income isn’t increasing when household bills are.”
Last year, a petition signed by 1200 people was handed to the council against proposed increases in music fees.
Releases under the Freedom of Information Act have shown that whilst last year’s fee increase did not cause a decrease in overall numbers of children learning, this is because instrumental music tuition has always been oversubscribed.
However, the latest price hike is already having an effect.
“At some schools the fee increase has caused a decrease in applications to play an instrument,” the statement explained.
“There has also been a decrease in central groups participation with some families finding that the additional cost of central groups is too much on top of increased lesson fees.
“In other words, fees are already a limiting factor in deciding which children learn to play an instrument.
“PKC officials repeatedly put the good work done by the Instrumental Music Service at risk by offering it up for ‘savings’.”
Councillors are due to meet on Wednesday to vote on the 2019/20 budget.