Campaigners for the elderly have ridiculed what they see as a “patronising and hollow” move by councillors in Shropshire to cut allowances and travel expenses.

The full Shropshire Council last week approved a five per cent cut to basic allowances for members and also agreed to reduce various mileage allowances, bringing the figures down to a standard 40p per mile in line with staff travel rates.

Current rates range from 46p to 65p.

Proposing the cut to the basic allowance and travel expenses, council leader Keith Barrow said members should “share the pain” with staff who face a pay freeze and changes to their employment terms and conditions as the council looks to make massive budget savings.

But John Dodson, chairman of the Shropshire Association of Senior Citizen Forums, said: “Councillors using the phrases ‘share the pain’ and ‘tough decisions’ sound good.

“But in the case of councillors, it sounds somewhat patronising and hollow when compared with the increase in costs and loss of services that are confronting senior citizens and other vulnerable parts of our county population.”

Mr Dodson claimed the senior citizens’ forum made a decision two years ago to stick with offering 40p per mile for volunteers’ travel expenses, despite soaring fuel prices at the pumps.

He added: “I believe that council officers and members have been claiming up to 65 per mile for a long time.

“Therefore I think it is a hollow claim by councillors to now be ‘sharing the pain’ when this obvious cost to the council could have been cut at least two years ago.”

Mr Dodson said the association was asking whether every potential cost saving could be achieved without affecting frontline services and whether jobs, such as that of the chief executive, could be shared with Telford & Wrekin Council.

He said that a five per cent cut to the basic allowance was not as “eye watering” as some of the cost increases now being suffered by low income families, including many senior citizens.

By Dave Morris