Bradford Council is to take a group of elderly and disabled people to Court for refusing to pay charges for day centres.

Chairman of the Council's Social Services Committee, Councillor Mike Young, has given Labour group members advance warning of possible court cases against four elderly and disabled people in a confidential letter which says some people owe more than £1,000 in arrears.

The letter, which has been leaked to the Telegraph & Argus, says it may be March or April before the cases are heard at Bradford County Court.

The group has been told large amounts are owed by people who refuse to pay on principle.

The details are with Council lawyers but summonses have not yet been served.

But fury erupted among families who admit they are withholding payments and Bradford South MP Gerry Sutcliffe said he was "saddened" by what was happening.

There is a £2 a week minimum charge for day centres and charges for other social services facilities or £9 for those on attendance allowances. The charges were brought in three years ago amid a storm of protest and a major campaign involving thousands of people when the council faced £13 million in spending cuts.

Bradford Council carries out means tests on people using the services and says charges are only made to people who are capable of paying. It has set a maximum of £31.50 a week and has set up an appeal process. The charges affect about 7,000 people.

Social Services offers people packages at varying costs, according to their needs. They include transport and use of day centres, meals when necessary, home help and therapy.

But it is understood a large number of people are still refusing to pay the bills on principle. The charges bring in about £2.3 million a year, which is ploughed back into social services.

Chairman of the social services committee Councillor Mike Young the said he could not discuss individual cases but the decision had not been taken lightly and people had been given every chance.

He said 97 per cent of people were paying up and many felt strongly that it was wrong that others should not give their share.

Bradford South MP Gerry Sutcliffe said he would seek talks with council leader Ian Greenwood. He said: "There must be discussions. I am saddened by this situation."

Terry Rooney MP for Bradford North said he had been against the charges in Bradford from the start and he understood large numbers of people in the district were not paying.

Families who are refusing to pay said they were shocked and disgusted by the decision.

Tina Burke, who's son Peter, 40, has learning difficulties, said: "The council has no heart. I am disgusted, but it doesn't surprise me. They are trying to force this through as a test case. Elderly and disabled people are going to be terrified."

Mrs Burke of Ingrow said Peter was not paying day centre charges and no longer attended the centre, but he owed the council about £1,000.

She said he received about £100 a week in benefits and there was "no way" he could afford charges.

Pip Wilcox, of Roundwood Glen, Greengates, whose son Stephen, 40, also has learning difficulties said he was disgusted by the authority. "I am absolutely furious. This council is diabolical."

He said Stephen, who receives £81 a week benefits was withholding his payments but also no longer attended the day centre. "I think they are testing the water with this to see what the reaction will be."

Mr Wilcox said the burden of payments would lie with parents because benefits were not sufficient to cover them.

He said if the sons and daughters had been fit and well they would have paid their share of household expense. But families were saving the authority millions of pounds because they were looking after the children in their own homes.

Leader of the council's Liberal Democrat Group Councillor Jeanette Sunderland said: "We are talking about a totally immoral back door tax on disabled and elderly people.

"I want questions asked in Parliament and will be contacting the MPs."

Councillor Richard Wightman, deputy leader of the Council's Tory group said it seems that the deputy leader of Bradford Council cared more about the cost of sandwiches than about the plight of elderly people.

The letter from Coun Young to his colleagues says people who pay the charges are given welfare benefit checks and as a result people in the district have received £12 million in the past five years.

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