CONTROVERSIAL cuts to adult social care have been scaled back following a public outcry.

Lancashire County Council has decided to phase in its savings plan after admitting parts of it had generated an ‘angry’ response during a public consultation.

Bosses are to press ahead with the controversial decision to raise the threshold for support, which means 3,900 people face losing their care when they are reassessed.

But other measures are to be taken to mitigate the effects of the cuts. This means nobody will face increased costs of more than £30 a week. And the council will maintain the same investment in care home provision for existing residents, only reducing its subsidies for new people entering care.

In January the council announced more than half of the 13,000 people who receive day care services, meals on wheels and home care would be forced to pay more under the proposals.

Day care charges were to increase from £5 a day to between £30.75 and £53.80 Council leader Geoff Driver said: “As a result of the consultation we have made some changes.

“We are finding some extra resources to phase it in. We are listening to what everyone said.”

The proposal to raise the eligibility criteria from ‘moderate’ to ‘substantial’ will save £5million a year, bosses say.

People who lose their support as a result will be offered advice on benefits, community transport and how to make their home safe.

Lancashire County Council is trying to save £179million from its budget over the next three years.

Most people who attended public meetings to discuss the changes said fees should not be reduced at all.

A report from the events said: “At the events, although some people were resigned to the savings proposals, others were quite angry. The latter however, outnumbered the former.”