Elderly fears after aid runs out

Hundreds of elderly people will have to wait until April for repair grants

Groups representing the elderly have criticised Ceredigion Council for using up this year's £3.1m housing grant budget after only seven months.

Home renovation grant applications for repairs like those to doors, windows and roofs have been suspended for the next five months.

Ceredigion Age Concern's director has called the decision 'astonishing' and raised fears about the safety of the elderly with winter approaching.

Last year the council gave 667 elderly people grants of up to £5,000 to help with repairs

"It is important that older people remain independent in their homes so it is essential they have access to repair Pam Morgan, Age Concern

But this year only 269 applications were completed up to September meaning hundreds of elderly people will have to make do over the winter months.

Age Concern's Pam Morgan warned this could have a serious knock-on effect on health services.

"I find this decision astonishing because we have a large population of older people in Ceredigion," she said.

"It is important that older people remain independent in their homes so it is essential they have access to repairs.

"Draughts can aggravate medical conditions such as asthma, and if people go to hospital the lack of repairs means they have to stay there longer before they can return home.

We just can't go on at that pace and this has led to us suspending these grants Ann Rees, Ceredigion Council

Last year Ceredigion Council spent £4.5m on 101 full renovation grants of up to £40,000, 111 grants for disabled adaptations and the smaller grants for repairs for the elderly.

Ann Rees, the council's assistant director of housing, said the demand from older people had reached unprecedented levels.

"Last year we dealt with 892 applications and we have already passed 649 applications in six months this year," she said.

"We just can't go on at that pace and this has led to us suspending these grants.

Ms Rees said the fact that Ceredigion had more unfit houses than the rest of Wales was to blame.

"Because of the rural nature of the county most of these house are detached which means they cost more to renovate," she said.

The grants for the elderly are means tested for people between 60 and 70 - but they are free to the over 70s.

"People tend to live longer in Ceredigion than the rest of Wales which means there are more people of that age applying for these grants," said Ms Rees..