Bradford Council's decision three years ago to levy charges for its social-services facilities on an "ability to pay" basis was always going to be a bone of contention. The volume of protest at the time was a strong indication that trouble lay ahead.

Now those fears have proved true with our revelation today that the Council is to take legal action against four elderly and disabled people who have refused to pay the charges and have run up arrears of more than £1,000. The four are among dozens of people who have refused to pay the bills.

The charges are means-tested so that those least able to pay them will not be asked to do so. However, even means testing cannot always identify the problems that some people face in the day-to-day management of their finances. And there are always those on or just above the line who can claim to be as hard up as those below it.

As yet we do not know who the four people are who are refusing to pay, or whether they are doing so as part of a "protest movement" or because they genuinely cannot afford to meet the bills for the care they have received.

In general we are in favour of those who can afford it being forced to pay their own bills. However, it seems astonishing that the Council is willing to take vigorous action against people who are among society's disadvantaged for £1,000 each, when millions are still outstanding in unpaid poll tax, much of which is being withheld because of principle rather than hardship.

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