An 87-year-old lady with dementia was threatened with forced entry to her sheltered home because she didn't respond to a council letter.
Margaret Cook was told that if she didn't arrange a time for a gas safety check to be carried out at her Renfrewshire house she'd also be charged for the action.
Now the pensioner's son has condemned Renfrewshire Council's actions, explaining his mum lacks the capacity to make arrangements and he has made them aware previously that he has power of attorney over her affairs, the Paisley Daily Express reports.
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Graham explained: "The frustrating thing is that this has been going on for a few years, it's not an isolated incident. They keep giving us platitudes that they will do something.
"Previously, she was threatened with eviction for not having paid a £40 bill while the finance department was processing a £900 refund.
"One department doesn't speak to the other and all the while I am her power of attorney and they continue to send letters to her instead of me. This was the last straw for me."
Margaret, who is also deaf, moved into the Elderslie housing complex a few years ago, and was rattled when she opened the letter threatening to force entry to her home.
Graham added: "The fact that she is in sheltered housing would, you would think, suggests she may be vulnerable. Fortunately for my mum, I have intercepted some of the letters, but my concern is not just for my mum but for other people in sheltered housing who don't have relatives.
"I don't know what they would make of letters like these."
Graham has urged Renfrewshire Council to establish a vulnerable tenants' register which would alert staff to their needs should they need to contact them. It should also, he says, contain the contact details of family members and the person's power of attorney where appropriate.
The move would, he argues, ensure the council gets the information or response it needs while protecting elderly people from any upset.
A spokesman for the authority has apologised for the "distress caused".
He said: "We're sorry for any inconvenience or distress caused and we will contact Mrs Cook's son to discuss how future correspondence regarding this important safety check should be directed. Gas safety is very important and we have a legal duty to do this work every year.
"Tenants and their families could be at risk if gas appliances aren't regularly serviced or if safety checks are missed."
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