YP Letters: Denial over tax on elderly deserves contempt

I COMPLETELY agree with Tom Richmond’s criticism (“Contempt where empathy is needed”, The Yorkshire Post, January 21) of Communities Secretary Sajid Javid’s apparent denial concerning problems facing the care of the elderly. When the announcement was made, some weeks ago, that local authorities were going to be allowed to raise the adult social care component of the council tax charges, I immediately emailed Mr Javid’s office to appeal for the need for exemptions to be made.

Readers of these pages may be familiar with the fight I have so far unsuccessfully fought following my 92-year-old parents having to pay £27 of their council tax bill toward adult social care when they were both already paying in excess of £5,000 a month for their own care, both being in a nursing home with Alzheimer’s.

My appeal to Mr Javid was that, even it were necessary and possibly even justified to make such a charge on the population in general, there must surely be a case for exceptions to be made on a case-by-case basis for the injustice of those, like my parents, who are already paying for their care and who are therefore not a drain on anyone’s budget. Apart from an automated response to my email, my appeal has so far fallen on deaf ears.