Nearly ten per cent of the elderly and disabled people in York who were receiving a council-run domestic support service have withdrawn since following a steep hike in the price of the service.

City of York Council's social services committee was told by its head of strategy and commissioning, Roy Wallington, that 42 of the 470 people using the service had cancelled it completely since April 1, and a further 29 had cut down the amount of service they received.

In February councillors agreed to increase the charge for the service for those on means-tested benefits from £2.90 per hour to £4.75.

Mr Wallington said there had been a reduction of approximately ten per vent in the number of people using the service, though he added: "Our experience is that customers do sometimes reconsider."

He said a new "customer contract" spelling out what customers could expect from the service and what to do if something went wrong was a "positive initiative".

Committee chairman, Coun Bob Fletcher, agreed saying the contract would give considerable reassurance.

He added he was not surprised by the number of people who had withdrawn from the service because in percentage terms there had been a significant price rise.

"But that reflected a significant increase in the cost of the contract to the council. There is a limit to the extent that the council can underwrite and subsidise services," he added.

Coun Fletcher hoped most customers would return. "I don't think it's a surprise, I'm reassured the reduction isn't greater than it is and I think the number will reduce," he said.

But Pat McWeeny of the York Older People's Forum said: "I don't know how we can be so sanguine about ten per cent of our customers withdrawing."

She added finance was the controlling factor rather than need.

see also 'Putting too high a price on care'

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