PEOPLE who live in extra care housing in Dorset will soon be expected to contribute to the cost of the service.

Dorset County Council said it can no longer afford to charge less for a service than it costs to provide and is proposing that residents who pass a means test pay will have to contribute to the cost of their care.

It is carrying out a review of the charges that people pay and asking residents to comment on options ranging from exempting residents from the increase to charging the full cost of services from January 2016.

At present the cost of the service is subsidised by the county council for all service users, regardless of their ability to pay.

But Cllr Jill Haynes, cabinet member for adult social care, said: "In times of financial austerity, the council can no longer afford to charge less for a service than it costs to provide.

"However, residents in extra care housing are entitled to a financial assessment and the full charge would only be made to those assessed as able to afford to pay it.

"The aim is to create a fair and transparent system of charges for adult social care services. We also have to charge contributions that meet the new legal requirements.

"In the past, people have told us they expect to pay something towards their services if they can afford it. We want to encourage people to have their say on the proposals before we make any decisions, and we are contacting everyone affected individually, as well as organising public meetings."

The consultation will run until 30 September, and residents will have a chance to give their views online, or attend meetings at the homes.

There will also be opportunities for one to one meetings for those concerned, and all residents have been offered the opportunity to have a financial assessment before the consultation closes, so that they know the financial impact it may have on them.