Consultation launched on alert bracelet fee

A 24-hour alert fob system for elderly, disabled and vulnerable people could come with a weekly cost as part of efforts by a council to save money.

Shropshire Council has launched a consultation into proposed charges for the Telecare scheme, which is currently free, that would see users paying £3.45 a week as well as a one-off £35 set-up fee.

The move comes as the local authority said it needed to save nearly £23m from its yearly budget in the new financial year.

The consultation will run until 10 March. The council said it "remains committed to delivering excellent care services" and wants to take on the "input of its residents in shaping the future of Telecare services".

The Telecare system provides users with fobs that are worn as a pendant or around a wrist that are connected to a 24/7 response centre.

The round-the-clock monitoring means that if a user has an emergency, such as a fall, they can press the button on the fob to call for assistance.

Whilst many users could soon have to pay, those who receive a care package from Shropshire Council or get care services under Section 117 of the Mental Health Act will be exempt from the proposed fees.

The local authority has said social care services account for nearly 80% of the authority's overall budget - with around £4 in every £5 spent on social care.

In its savings strategy announced on 15 January, the council stated there were £11m of measures planned that would reduce the anticipated cost of social care services.

The council also noted it was one of the only areas where the Telecare service is free and said that the typical charge for the system in other councils ranges from £1.50 to £19 per week.

Councillor Cecilia Motley, cabinet member for adult social care and public health, said the council knows that Telecare is "an important prevention service that supports individuals to live independently".

She added that the potential charge "is not about accumulating large sums of revenue but proposing a modest charge like most councils are doing across the country".

Telecare users can make their views known in the consultation by email, mail, local libraries and Shropshire Local centres.