Kentish Express Ashford & District
Petitioning pensioners query housing scheme charges
Pensioners in Wye have voiced concerns with a housing boss regarding the surcharges for their sheltered housing scheme.
Ashford Borough Council’s portfolio holder for housing, Cllr Paul Clokie, along with Wendy Pole, the council’s supported housing manager, and Denise Libbeter, scheme manager, met elderly residents who live at Little Chequers bunglalows in Wye petitioning against their charges attached to the sheltered scheme at Luckley House.
The meeting was attended by 15 tenants, who were asked their opinions on the issue.
Tenants in the bunglalows pay £125 a week rent, £26.49 of which are surcharges for Luckley House services and maintenance. They pay their own bills on top of this.
Little Chequers resident Jean Graham said: “Technically we are under the umbrella of Luckley House and we used to have a live-in warden, but this hasn’t been the situation for years.
“We feel the charges are historic and totally irrelevant to us.”
Her husband, Jimmy Graham, said: “We don’t think there is any basic level of care.
“We think that they are starting to take us seriously now.”
Visitors from another sheltered scheme in Ashford, Summer Leeze Gardens, also attended to express similar opinions about their own scheme.
Cllr Clokie said: “We are not going to be rushed into an answer. It has got to be the right Cllr Paul Clokie and Wendy Pole, the council’s supported housing manager, with residents unhappy with surcharges for sheltered housing at Little Chequers in Wye answer for those who live in a sheltered scheme.
“They are either part of the scheme or not. We must be fair. It is to keep people living independently.”
Richard Robinson, housing improvement manager for Ashford, said: “What we provide is support and encouraging people to do it for themselves.
“We need to review the charges for all the bungalows for all of our sheltered housing schemes, not just Luckley House and Little Chequers.
“We review this every year. We review what it costs us to provide the services. We need to look at how we level this off so not to penalise others.”
Part of the charges fund staff to manage the site five days a week, visit residents and maintain contact with families and carers.
Mr Robinson added: “We want to sustain employing scheme managers and we have to consider that. We try to make our charges as transparent as we can. What we charge is what it costs.”
Services that will be reviewed for all 12 sheltered housing schemes by the council include handy man services, broadband internet and laundry facilities.
Residents in Wye have also contacted Damian Green MP about the issue.