Age UK Waltham Forest’s service of providing isolated housebound older people with volunteer visits will no longer receive council support from next month, reports Sebastian Mann, Local Democracy Reporter

Age UK Waltham Forest (AUKWF) has slammed Waltham Forest Council’s decision to drop funding for a ‘befriending’ service targeted at isolated and housebound older people.

The council wants to instead widen the service from isolated residents who are disabled or older than 65 towards all adults.

The ‘befriending’ service has been operated by Age UK Waltham Forest (AUKWF) for 20 years and was commissioned by the council in 2022, but funding for it will cease in March.

Under the new scheme, residents will be able to sign up online for a six-month service and participants will be able to attend in-person events and learn life skills instead of receiving home visits as is currently the case.

The council says the changed approach is more in line with its ‘Mission Waltham Forest’ directive, which aims to ensure the borough is broadly a “great place to live and age well”.

But AUKWF says it will alienate older people who do not have access to the internet and are too old for public events.

‘Befrienders’ are volunteers who check in with or visit eligible residents once a week to keep them company. The average age of a person using the service is 82, according to the charity.

Though the council says residents’ needs will be met through technology, AUKWF argues that just 2% of current service users can access the internet, while more than a third cannot communicate well by phone.

The new format will also impose a limit of six months – which can be extended to twelve in exceptional circumstances – while AUKWF offers indefinite support, which it says is “crucial for building trust and preventing deep distress”.

Terry Day, AUKWF’s befriending manager, said: “The new service excludes almost all our current older people because they don’t use the internet or smartphones and can’t leave their homes.

“The council seems to disregard housebound older people – out of sight, out of mind. We must speak up for them.”

An AUKWF volunteer, Natasha, said the planned focus on life skills was “patronising”. She added: “These resilient, accomplished older people need connection and conversation, not life skills.”

Fellow befriender Caroline said imposing a time limit was “cruel”. She added: “Human contact is vital. My befriendee [sic] often needs a comforting presence, which technology can’t provide.”

Despite the concerns, the council cannot offer Age UK the same contract as it is “not a like-for-like replacement,” councillor Louise Mitchell said.

The cabinet member for adult services continued: “We appreciate and respect the work that Age UK does, and the charity continues to provide a range of vital services for Waltham Forest residents in partnership with various council departments.

“However, government regulations prevent us giving Age UK Waltham Forest a direct award for this contract as it is not a like-for-like replacement for the current offer.

“It is a legal requirement to go out to tender in these circumstances. We have a responsibility to ensure that the contracts we enter are rigorously assessed to ensure they deliver a high standard of service and at the same time offer best value for money.”

Cllr Mitchell added: “We take Age UK Waltham Forest’s concerns seriously and we are working with them to ensure that every one of the current eligible service users continues to receive the level of support they need.”

The new contract will come into effect in April.

Age UK Waltham Forest is part of the national federation of Age UK organisations, but is not a local branch of the charity and is entirely responsible for its own fundraising.

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