Day centre charges row

Day centre users in Hertfordshire are complaining at being
charged for holiday periods and for Christmas week when centres
were closed.

Roy Atkins of Bishops Stortford Mencap blames the council’s
method of sending out standard monthly invoices to users. If they
have not used the centre during the period, they have to claim the
corresponding amount back.

‘Unless you spot it, you pay. They’re just using a standard
wages computer and they just churn it out,’ Atkins said.

Sarah Pickup, assistant director at Hertfordshire social
services, said: ‘Sometimes information about holidays does not get
through in time for the bills to be amended.’