DESPERATE elderly people were needlessly eating into their life savings because of social services Scrooges.

They were forced to pay their residential care fees - even though they had a legal right to have them met by the council.

Now the borough has been listed in a national league of shame compiled by Help The Aged as one of 19 councils it had received more than 2,000 complaints about.

Most of those affected have now been reimbursed after a court ruling forced the local authority to change its policy.

The council should have been picking up the tab when residents' capital fell below £16,000.

Cash-strapped Bury had been operating a "first come, first served" policy. Those in care whose funds had dropped below the threshold were placed on a list of those waiting for funding and dealt with in chronological order, along with people "bed blocked", i.e. stuck in hospital because the council could not afford to pay for a place in a home. Social services bosses said they were trying to be fair to everyone waiting for care, whether they were "bed blockers" or those already in care who were running out of cash.

But the council was forced to abandon this policy earlier this year. The Appeal Court said lack of money was not a good enough reason for councils to ignore their legal obligations.

Mr Jim Wilson, chief borough social services officer, was keen to point out that the complaints figures related to last year.

"The situation is far better now," he said. "Distinct improvements have been made."

Mr Wilson said the authorities were now "on top" of delayed discharges from hospital: there are now just eight people waiting for a residential place, compared to more than 40 at Christmas.

"Social services have acted positively and are working with the health service to sort out bed-blocking.

"We're looking to make further improvements in the range of services we can offer to elderly people. These include helping people to stay at home so they don't end up needing residential care."

Mr Wilson said that almost everyone who was entitled to have their fees paid after falling below the cash threshold had now been reimbursed.

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