THE cost of living in a council bungalow for the elderly and infirm has gone up by a massive £11 a week for new tenants.

The reason for this increase is because all council bungalows have now been brought under the canopy of sheltered housing and the £11 is for a warden service I am told. For this £11 a week, tenants will get a minimum of one visit a week, plus a daily intercom call.

This scheme has been brought in so quickly that staff at my local estate office could not give me details when I telephoned to ask recently, even though the scheme was introduced on May 1.

Many tenants will no doubt be happy to be included in the scheme, and many on low incomes and certain benefits will get the service for free, I believe.

However, there are many tenants on low incomes who cannot claim any benefits because of savings. These are the ones who have to pay full rent and Council Tax, and there are the people who will be forced to pay the extra £11 a week for a service they may not want.

Bolton at Home will, in effect, get the £11 a week from all council bungalows re-let since May 1, the money coming from the pockets and purses of the elderly or from the benefits agencies.

This of course is tantamount to an £11 a week rent increase for those elderly and/or infirm tenants. This is a disgrace!

It is a scandal and needs to be looked into urgently.

Brian Derbyshire

Ribchester Grove

Bolton