YOUR article (Compromise agreed on day centre fees, December 18), mentions the fact that I spoke up against the proposed increase in charges for elderly and disabled people attending day centres in Oxfordshire.

The Tory-controlled county council is proposing to increase the charges for attending day centres over the next two years quite dramatically.

At the moment attendees pay a total of £5 to include transport costs and attendance at the centres.

The proposals agreed by the Tories on the Adult Services Scrutiny Committee of the county council, and opposed by Labour and the Lib Dem councillor, is the charges will increase from September 2013 to £12.50.

Officers have suggested that this initial increase in charges from September 2013 will probably result in a 20 per cent reduction in attendance at the day centres.

Further increases to £15 from April 2014 and £20 from April 2015 were proposed and agreed.

How many additional people will be unable to pay the increased costs?

While I agree that all charges of this kind should be increased each year to keep up with inflation, I cannot agree to such draconian measures.

The document presented to the committee actually stated that: ‘Attendance at day centres were preventative services as they reduce the potential expenditure on more expensive services such as residential and nursing care or hospital admissions – particularly as they support people with higher needs. They provide support to family carers. They reduce loneliness’.

So how can the county agree to support such increases?

I think and hope that I persuaded the committee to look carefully at the numbers attending their day centres and, if there was a significant decrease in numbers, they would look carefully at their proposals for future increases and reconsider if necessary.

GILL SANDERS

Oxford City Council’s Older Person’s Champion

City councillor for Littlemore

County Councillor for Littlemore and Cowley