Bradford Council is facing some harsh, near intolerable, choices as it decides how it can find £88m in savings over two years while minimising the impact on the community.

Everything has to be examined in minute detail and must be able to justify its cost in terms of value to the ratepayers. But there have to be some areas that should be sacrosanct, and one of those areas should be the care and dignity of the most vulnerable members of our society.

So we would support the call by the 900 people who have signed the Bradford Cares campaign opposing any changes to the current Council Fair Access to Care criteria which could see home help cut for those adjudged to be in moderate need, and only those judged to be in critical or substantial need receiving it.

The T&A launched its With Respect. . . campaign to protect the dignity of our ageing population, and it is they, along with vulnerable adults of all ages, who are being hardest hit too often by austerity cuts. Changes to Fair Access to Care criteria would again impact heavily on them.

As well as the effect of any loss of care provision, those who rely on care at home and their family and friends will have faced months of worry and uncertainty since the possible changes were first revealed. As one of the campaigners argues: “There is no such thing as moderate care. If you need care, you need care.”

There needs to be a safe level of funding for social care – based on an absolute minimum standard for those who need it – which has to be maintained whatever the cost.

We have to find a way of looking after the most vulnerable members of our community and affording them the respect, dignity and care they deserve. Otherwise, how can we truly call ourselves a caring society