Derby City Council says it will give four weeks' notice to vulnerable people who will need to start paying or to pay more to use emergency alarm pendants.

DERBY City Council says it will give four weeks' notice to vulnerable people who will need to start paying or to pay more to use emergency alarm pendants.

The pendant service, called Carelink, allows people to press a button hung round their neck to get support in an emergency.

Derby City Council currently provides Carelink free to hundreds of people.

It is provided by the council and used by individuals and housing organisations that run sheltered housing complexes.

The authority currently provides Carelink free to hundreds of people who have a low income but is to start charging all customers following cuts to its grant from the Government.

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It will also increase charges for individuals who already pay, with the combined changes aimed at saving £238,000 in 2013-14.

The city council said in a statement that, according to its most recent figures, 2,892 individuals in the city use Carelink, with 1,323 receiving it for free. Several hundred more stand to be affected who receive the services via four organisations that run sheltered housing complexes.

People receive two types of service: call monitoring, where, in an emergency, Carelink alert a key holder, such as a neighbour, if they need to access the customer's property; and emergency response, where Carelink staff will have a key and gain access themselves in an emergency.

For all users, charges per week will be £3.52 for call monitoring, and £4.61 for emergency response. Current charges are £3.45 and £3.95 respectively.

Asked what would be done to help people who struggled to afford the charges, a council spokeswoman said: "We will work with any Carelink customers who might be at significant risk if they choose to end their service.

"These customers will be assessed to determine whether they are eligible for a personal budget that might help cover the charge."