THE cost of overnight expenses and meal allowances claimed by councillors can be twice what local authorities pay in care home fees for vulnerable people, it has been revealed.

In Ceredigion it costs £74.29 for residential care while councillors can claim £123 for an overnight stay – that’s more than they pay for nursing care for the elderly mentally ill, £87.86.

The figures have come to light following an investigation by Care Forum Wales, the body that represents nearly 500 social care providers.

If they are away on official business, councillors can claim £95 a night for overnight accommodation and £28 for meals, making a total of £123.

Care Forum Wales has compiled a list of the latest fees paid by local authorities for residential and nursing care in Wales.

The rate per night paid by local authorities for residential care varies between £60.57 to £80.81. Councillors can also claim travelling expenses, including 5p a mile for car passengers and 20p a mile for those using a bicycle.

In addition, they can receive up to £403 a month for the cost of providing care for children, elderly or disabled relatives while they're on council business.

A spokesman for Ceredigion County Council said: “All sums of allowances paid to Ceredigion County Councillors are made in accordance with the Independent Remuneration Panel for Wales’s Annual Report. The Council has no discretion in the sums paid to councillors.”

According to Care Forum Wales, there is a "curious disparity that some might see as a case of double standards" and it has urged the newly-elected councillors to review care home fees "on the basis of fairness".

Senior policy advisor Mary Wimbury said: "We certainly don't begrudge councillors the right to claim legitimate. Far from it. Councillors do an important job and they must be properly reimbursed and supported.

"But it seems only fair that as a society we provide a similar adequate level of funding for social care for the most vulnerable people in our communities.

"The issue is simply about what is fair and appropriate. With the 22 new councils in place, we have an opportunity to make things fairer for everybody, not least those who receive and provide social care in Wales.

"It seems to me only right that a councillor should not be having more than it pays for a profoundly frail older person who has been assessed as needing that care.

"Councillors are reimbursed for real costs and the point we would make is that social care providers are also having to deal with very real costs.

"Nursing care involves paying a nurse to be on the premises 24./7 and staff will need to help, dressing, washing and sometimes moving and feeding residents as well as dealing with incontinence. This level of care is way above and beyond the cost of accommodation and food for a councillor.

"We believe this would be a good time to reflect on our priorities as a society, especially as we all accept that social care is a sector of national strategic importance which underpins the NHS, the economy and communities across Wales.”