I refer to the article in the Evening Press about the increase in the price of the council-run domestic support service (April 11).

In view of the miserly 1.1 per cent rise in pension I think the increase for home helps from £2.90 to £4.75 an hour for people on benefits (63.7 per cent) is absolutely iniquitous.

What is not mentioned in the article is that those who are not subsidised - even if their income is only marginally above the qualifying amount for benefits - have to pay £8.75 an hour.

I understand from a reliable source that the wage paid to the people who do the actual cleaning has gone up from £3.60 to £3.65 - just 5p an hour. A very low wage to start with, the increase is abysmal and insulting.

Bob Fletcher says he is not surprised that people have withdrawn from the scheme, but is reassured the reduction is not more. He also thinks the numbers withdrawing will reduce. How he can conclude this baffles me - unless the percentage of increase is magically (and drastically) reduced.

It seems the council does not really want to provide this service, but to appease public opinion, just go through the motions while pricing the service out of the market. Caring for the elderly and disabled and enabling them to remain independent in their own homes does not seem to enter into the equation.

Helen K Snowden,

St Ann Court, York.

...Believe it or not, as we await news about the new cabinet of York councillors and the obscene allowances along with it, the council has increased the hourly rate of home care charges from £2.90 to £4.75. This announcement comes as I struggle on at 70 years old next year cleaning my own home while in great pain.

What's the betting that when the new cabinet allowances are brought in that the public, who will pay them, are told they now have become a personal matter for cabinet members and the amounts are not disclosed?

Brian Rowan,

Heworth, York.

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.