Title: "Dignity, not peanuts" - call for those in care homes to have control and independence

Counsel and Care is calling for consumer power, and with that, control and independence, to be given back to older people living in care homes - and for a rise in the £21.90 a week they are expected to get by on for essential living expenses and day-to-day expenditure, including all of their clothes, footwear, toiletries, and hairdressing, as well as stationary, newspapers, books, taxis, activities and gifts.

The charity is supporting Age Concern England’s 'Dignity not PEAnuts' 

campaign for government to increase the amount of money that nearly 250,000 older people living in care homes have to manage on per week.

"We are calling for people to attend the PEA-day protest on Monday 9th March," says a spokesperson for the charity.

"Despite constant calls for a meaningful increase to £40, from April this year the Government will only raise the Personal Expenses Allowance by a derisory 75p, a decision made all the more galling as at the same time Scotland has agreed to review the figure. This means that older people living in care homes and part-funded by the council in England will only have access to a mere £21.90 per week of their own money to use to buy essential living expenses and day-to-day expenditure, including all of their clothes, footwear, toiletries, and hairdressing, as well as stationary, newspapers, books, taxis, activities and gifts. All the rest of their pension must go to pay for their care home fees.

"Older people without savings have no other money to draw on if their costs exceed this pitiful amount. Their ability to stay in control and independent is liable to be severely compromised as they are forced to make difficult choices about everyday purchases that most take for granted."