Council bosses have agreed to continue to protect the incomes of vulnerable adults by scrapping plans to increase charges for social care packages.

The decision was made at Cambridgeshire County Council’s Adults Committee, with more than 300 responses received following a 12-week consultation.

The four proposals were including the enhanced level of Personal Independence Payment (PIP) in financial assessments, changing the charging rules for people going into a care home for respite care, charging people for help with running their finances and that direct debits should be the default method of people paying their contribution.

The decision not to implement the first three proposals means that in Cambridgeshire people who receive the enhanced level of PIP, those going into a care home for respite care or those needing support to run their finances - will not be asked to contribute more.

However, the committee agreed to go ahead with the proposal to make direct debits the default method of payment.

The proposals were being considered as the Adult Social Care system continues to work under huge pressure financially, with the contributions seen as a way to make savings of around £282,000.

But it means that that cash-strapped bosses will now have to look to make savings elsewhere.

Cambridgeshire County Councillor Anna Bailey, chairwoman of the council’s adults committee, said: “We have carefully listened to feedback from the consultation and decided not go forward with the three main proposals as we are concerned about their impacts on some of the most vulnerable people in our communities.

“Although we face big budget pressures around Adult Social Care, we are very reluctant to ask for further contributions from people who may already be facing their own financial challenges, although other councils across the country do and the Care Act gives us the provision to do so.

“We will continue to work on our transformative plans to make greater savings and meet the demands of increasing numbers of people needing support.”

The results were also welcomed by officials at Healthwatch Cambridgeshire.

Sandie Smith, chief executive officer, added: “We are delighted that the Committee saw how unfair these proposals were and that the increases would have fallen on the most disadvantaged people in our community.”