Plan to introduce Telecare charge in Bedford on pause over fears about government's cuts in the winter fuel allowance.

Portfolio holder for valuing families: adult services, councillor Robert Rigby (Conservative, Bromham) told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS): “When we made a final decision to push on with charging we didn’t know about the winter fuel allowance cut that the government was bringing in and the number of people who would be affected by it.

“So myself and the adults team have had another good look at it just to see exactly what we can do to help in the future.”

In a press release, the Lib Dems Group is claiming a “victory on Telecare charges”.

Councillor Henry Vann (De Parys) the leader of Bedford Borough Liberal Democrats, said: “It is very welcome that this awful decision has been withdrawn for now. It is vindication of our campaign, backed by hundreds of residents, to get the mayor to change his mind on this.”

Councillor Rigby said: “I read the Lib Dem press release and I’m really truly appalled with it claiming victory.

“There’s no victory, you’ve got old people, elderly people, infirm people who are really not able to look after themselves.

“I’m not playing a game we’re playing with people’s lives, and I don’t see it like that.

“All I’m interested in doing is protecting the wellbeing of all those people.”

Councillor Vann added in the press release: “However, it is clear that this isn’t the end of the story.

“The Conservatives are clearly looking to come back and have another try at implementing this unjust policy of charging vulnerable people for a vital emergency lifeline.”

Councillor Rigby said: “The LibDems, who have been vigorous in opposing Telecare charging, have known about the financial blackhole in our Telecare budget for years, and did nothing to deal with it.”

In a statement, the borough’s Conservatives said the government’s cut would “leave millions of pensioners facing increased health vulnerabilities as they are forced to choose between eating or heating”.

It added that Labour’s “own research from 2017” said that withdrawing the payment could “lead to almost 4000 additional deaths over winter”.

> Telecare provides a range of different items which can ensure the elderly and disabled stay independent in their own home. They include personal alarms, a falls detector, embrace watches, chair and bed sensors and medication boxes.