In brief
Hundreds of elderly people could lose day care and some facilities could be forced to close following a High Court ruling that controversial new charges were legal. Cumbria County Council introduced the means-tested fee of £5 per session, or £10 per day, for use of day care facilities on 1 October 2007. In R (on the application of Berry) v Cumbria County Council, Judge David Mackie QC held the charges were introduced without proper consultation but he threw out the bid to outlaw them, since, he decided a valid consultation was held after legal proceedings began.
