Alarming news on charges

Community alarm charges are being reintroduced across North Lanarkshire – three years after being scrapped in a council U-turn forced by their massive unpopularity.

Users of the service will now be asked to pay £3.40 per week,“in line with the national average”, to generate a saving of £1.4 million.

The SNP group had also proposed to reintroduce the charge in their budget, at a cost of £2 per week; while the Conservative group rejected that savings option, with leader Meghan Gallacher saying it would “punish our ageing population”.

Depute council leader Paul Kelly said:“We’re absolutely committed to retaining community alarms in the long term; with a £31m cut, our reasoning to ensure it continues in its current format is a small charge.

“A key part is the full assessment for everybody who might require an alarm, to make sure they have all the support they need, including income maximisers.

“We’re moving to a digital basis in the next few years, which is going to create a huge cost. There are only two authorities in the whole of

Scotland who don’t have a charge, and we’ve tried to be as reasonable as we could.”

North Lanarkshire previously introduced a charge for community alarms for eight months from August 2016, with the then-fee of £5 per week being one of the highest in Scotland.

It was heavily criticised by service users and opposition politicians and was axed in the 2017 budget – with those who had paid being offered refunds and all those who had left the service during the charging period being invited to have it reinstated.

Council leader Jim Logue said after Monday’s budget:“I think every policy is unpopular now, and if you try and introduce a charging regime into any service that people previously haven’t been charged for, of course you get a reaction.

“We tried to pitch below the national average, at £3.40; but with the demographic pressures it’s becoming increasingly difficult, and we’re faced with £2m when we make it digital – if we continue with no charge, it’s to the detriment of other services.”

Anger Past protests from locals, including residents of Laurel Gardens sheltered housing in Chapelhall, led to the charges being scrapped