THE council is aiming to save millions – by giving elderly residents a pot of cash each.

The strange-sounding plan will see frail and vulnerable adults given free reign to spend council money on themselves, instead of automatically having care chosen for them by the council.

Among the things they could spend their budget on is paying relatives to look after them, or even on bikes.

The system, called personalised budgets, saves the council an average of 20 per cent in care costs per person, and is already used by some residents.

But now the council wants to expand it massively, more than tripling those on personalised budgets by next year - with more after that.

Cabinet finance chief Mark Edwards (Con., St Margaret) said: “In the past we said: we’ve assessed your needs, this is what you’re going to get.

“What we’re saying to people now is: would you like to have a choice?”

But he added there would be common sense boundaries for how the money is spent.

“They can’t spend it on Smarties. There are limits.”

Stuart McKellar, finance director at the council, said “nieces or nephews” could be paid for giving care.

He said: “Would you like to have a care package we put together for you?

“Or would you like to do things fundamentally differently - have family members do it, and pay them?”

At the moment, 486 cared-for residents have personalised budgets.

That’s 8.1 per cent.

But by next year, the council’s aim is for 30 per cent to use the system - around 1,800 residents.

The drive is part of the overhaul of the £38m-a-year adult social care department, headed by coun Peter Mallinson (Con., Walcot).

Although it stands to save millions, all the cash would be ploughed back in to relieve pressure on the department, facing a rapid rise in residents needing care every year.

Coun Mallinson said: “It’s not a case we just dump money in the bank and say: here you are, do what you like - buy a new bike.

“But if someone thought really that’s the best possible thing to give them mobility, who’s to say you can’t do that?

“There’d have to be some sort of auditing system. It is not going to be a free-for-all.

“It’s in its early days, and like anything in its early days, it’ll take time to bed in.

“But it’s being done for the benefit of people, to give them freedom of choice.”