SEVERELY disabled people in County Durham face paying £1 million more for their care as councillors say austerity has forced them to make cuts.

Meanwhile, the county’s youth service is also facing £1 million of cuts as Durham County Council says it needs to make every penny count.

Durham County Council’s cabinet agreed to the cuts at a meeting on Wednesday.

Changes are being made to how people receiving Severe Disability Premium [SDP] payments are financially assessed for care services which help them live in their own homes.

It means the council expects that by 2020, people receiving the payment will be paying an extra £1 million for the service, which includes home and day care.

Cllr Alan Napier said: “This is clearly a savings area we would not take in normal circumstances but we are not in normal circumstances.

“We have been forced into service areas where disabled people are being affected.”

The changes are being made to financial assessments for people who get non-residential care to determine how much they can afford to pay for services.

At the moment, people who receive the SDP, which is to £61.85 a week, are given an automatic allowance for half of this in their financial assessment. The council is now removing the automatic allowance.

Though some people may pay less for their care, others will have to pay more and the council expects the changes to increase its income by £1 million by 2020.

Cllr Lucy Hovvels said: “It’s a fair and equitable approach and one that we need.”

The changes will only apply to new applicants and the council expects to policy to be in force by 2020.

Just 19 responses were received by the council during its public consultation, which was held between April and June.

Cuts to the council’s open access youth provision, which is provided by 63 youth centres and projects across County Durham, were also agreed.

Instead, it will take a more targeted approach trying to reach the most deprived children.

A review of the youth service found that only seven per cent of young people had regular contact with it, with nine per cent in the most deprived areas.

Cllr Ossie Johnson said: “This report is to target youth provision to where the greatest need is. We live in a time of austerity and we have to use our resources to the best of our ability.”

He added: “It’s more important than ever to make every penny count. I believe a shift to a more targeted approach is long overdue.”

Liberal Democrat councillor Mark Wilkes opposed the changes. He said: “Every child should matter in County Durham. Only having a reactive service is a retrograde step.

“No council should be slashing and burning its youth services.”

Council leader Simon Henig said: “Services like this have been affected right across the country. In many places that has taken effect some time ago.

“We will have to live within our means and that means lower budgets.”