Tenants left worried after council axes support grants for sheltered housing schemes

Hertfordshire County Council has axed its Supporting People Grant which supports 24 housing providers around the county for services.

All of those contracts will expire on March 31 and will be replaced by a countywide community alarm service, to be run by North Herts District Council, which will be available to elderly people with a standard weekly charge for all new service users from April 1.

The authority is setting aside a £100,000 budget for housing-related support and for the conversion of qualifying sheltered housing schemes to Flexicare Housing with on-site care and support.

Currently all 24 housing associations across the county have the option to choose its own alarm system and associated on the ground response services.

The new scheme will give the county responsibility for providing these alarms, which it will delegate to North Herts District Council.

The council said it hopes the changes will bring a more "universal community based support service’"for older people.

According to a cabinet report, more than 80 per cent of older people do not live in sheltered housing schemes; and those that do live in sheltered housing support and services are often provided to them regardless of whether they need it.

Councillor Colette Wyatt-Lowe, the county council’s cabinet member for adult care and health, said: "This is a positive initiative to set up a countywide alarm service.

"The new arrangement will replace an inequitable system of housing-related support, which does not meet the needs of the 80 per cent of older people in Hertfordshire, who do not live in sheltered accommodation.

"All housing providers affected were made aware of these changes at least one year beforehand so they could plan accordingly."

She added it would enable the council to contribute £500,000 to the Herts Healthy Homes scheme, which provides information and support to help people stay healthy and safe at home.