Disgruntled Skipton pensioners living in sheltered accommodation have hit out after being forced to pay the price of a full television licence.

Residents of Petyt Grove used to pay an annual sum of £5 towards the cost of their TV licences but now they have to pay the full fee of £97.50.

The pensioners - who have sent letters of protest to the television licencing office in Bristol, the Home Office and to Skipton MP David Curry - are having to fork out the full licence fee because the sheltered accommodation no longer has a full-time live-in warden on the site.

One resident, Jack Oxley, 89, said: "Although I knew I'd have to pay it, it was a lot of money to find and I had to use money which could have gone towards something else. I think it's a bit rotten that they let us pay £5 all that time and then bump it up to about £90 for pensioners. I'm 89 now and I haven't got a lot of money."

Mr Oxley added: "I don't think it's fair on pensioners as we rely on television as entertainment and it's something necessary to pass the time. I think their should be a lower rate for all pensioners whether they live in sheltered accommodation or not."

Another resident, 90-year-old Phyllis Sunderland, said she thought the measure was "awful" because it was such a large increase, while Verina Quigley added that all the pensioners at Petyt Grove were "very disappointed and angry" about the matter.

She added she had found out recently that she was entitled to claim Income Support from the benefits office, but that money would now have to go towards paying her TV licence.

David Allison, housing manager at Craven District Council, said the problem had developed when residents at Petyt Grove lost their full-time warden living on site.

The Council decided to change the warden service from live-in to mobile in order to reach a wider range of residents in sheltered accommodation.

But the change contravened TV licensing rules which stated that a warden must dedicate about 30 hours per week to one scheme before concessionary licences could be given.

He said: "Last year the residents still got the concessionary licences but we sent out a letter to them saying the new measure would be effective come January. We advised them to start saving and to get their stamps paid."

He said the Council had protested on behalf of the residents to no avail and would be preparing a report for a meeting of the housing committee on March 26.

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