Walsall community alarms charges put hundreds off the service
Charges introduced for community alarms - dubbed a lifeline for pensioners in Walsall - have led to hundreds wanting to opt out of the service since being brought in nearly three months ago.
More than 4,000 pensioners aged 80 and over faced a £150-a-year charge for the service under town hall budget savings for the first time.
It had previously been offered free for those residents until the new fees were agreed by Walsall Council's cabinet in March.
Bills were sent out to users last month in a bid to clawback £299,000 in 2015 to 2016 as part of efforts to save the council £29 million in this financial year.
A new report has revealed that while the charges are the cheapest in the West Midlands, since the changes were brought in 600 people have expressed a wish to withdraw from the service rather than pay the fee, including 254 aged over 80.
A total of 5,793 people use the pendant service that sees machines fitted at properties for disabled or frail residents to push a button to call for help if they suffer a fall or find themselves in difficulty in their own homes. Of this number 4,036 are over 80.
It is a 24-hour telephone response helpline that helps prevents falls, hospital and care home admissions and assists residents to live independently.
Additional equipment, such as electronic tablet dispensers and gas sensors are also available under the scheme.
The new Tory administration wants to scrap the charge that was introduced on April 1.
A decision is now due to be made over the future costs of the initiative by cabinet chiefs when they meet tonight.