Telecare charges for Bedford people back on the table

It added that this is to “safeguard the long-term future” of the service and address rising service costs, but the “majority of users” will still receive the Telecare service at no personal cost.

The Conservative administration added that costs have “ballooned” to nearly £450,000 a year and is “an unsustainable position”.

Therefore the council has been left in a “vulnerable position” and “forced to take difficult but necessary steps” to protect and preserve this service with a charge of £4 per week.

Portfolio holder for adults services, councillor Robert Rigby said: “It is not something I wanted to introduce at all, but is a decision we have been forced to make.

“We have priced this realistically to protect the service and its users, but if we do nothing the service itself will disappear under the weight of its own cost – I will not allow that to happen.”

Councillor Abu Sultan, leader of Bedford Borough Labour Group said: “This is a proposal that was thrown out by Full Council before , yet here it is again.

“This council, and all other local authorities find themselves in this parlous financial position because of the impact of the austerity policies their own Conservative party imposed on all public sector services over the last 14 years.”

Councillor Henry Vann, the leader of the Liberal Democrat Group said: “This is a disgraceful attack on the vulnerable – we are urging them to think again.

“I urge the mayor to not balance the books on the backs of the most vulnerable.”

The administration said service users who have care packages won’t have to pay the charge and “no one will be charged more than the cost of delivering the service”.

It added the charge itself is “well below” the average rate implemented by 32 comparative local councils, and lower than our direct neighbours in Milton Keynes (£6.27 per week) and Central Bedfordshire Council (£6.60 per week).

Portfolio holder for finance, councillor Marc Frost said: “This is a necessary step to protect a valued service and bring its finances back onto a sustainable footing.”