Woman fears loss of 'lifeline' service over fee

Margaret Cass is urging the council not to introduce charges for Telecare

A woman with numerous medical conditions has said she is worried she will be unable to afford a "lifeline" service when a fee is introduced.

Margaret Cass, 56, who has sciatica and arthritis, relies on the home-based Telecare service, which allows people to quickly contact social care staff in an emergency.

The service is currently free, however Hartlepool Council is due to introduce a fee from October.

The authority said it was currently "exploring potential, additional ways of further reducing the financial impact on people".

The Telecare device alerts staff to emergencies in the home such as falls

Ms Cass, who also has diabetes and spondylitis and is prone to falls, said she feared she would struggle to meet the cost.

Telecare provides a lanyard or wrist device which can be pressed in a medical emergency to alert health staff.

The council is planning to introduce a weekly £6 fee for a basic service and £10 a week for an enhanced service.

It is also proposing a one-off £46 charge for the provision and installation of a key safe.

"I feel like crying, it's terrible," she said.

"Sometimes I feel ashamed because I haven't got the extra £40 a month.

"Don't take it off us, it's a lifeline."

Ms Cass said the move towards a paid service was "disgusting" and said she was "fuming".

Jackie Gettings fears service users will not pay the new charges

Jackie Gettings, manager of Hartlepool charity Epilepsy Outlook, said she was worried service users would disconnect the service and "put themselves at risk" because of the cost.

"Most people who've got epilepsy living as an adult are on a limited budget," she said.

Hartlepool Council is planning a £6 a week fee for a basic Telecare service

Hartlepool Council said its previous administration chose to implement a charging model last year "in light of continued funding cuts from government to councils around the country, and increasing financial pressures on the service".

It said the fee introduction had been postponed until October so it could "explore any potential additional ways of further reducing the financial impact on people using this service, whilst also providing a financially-sustainable solution for the service".