Calls for Rotherham’s handyman service for elderly and vulnerable to be reinstated

Val Marks, who lives in East Dene, issued a plea to councillors to reinstate the service at a full council meeting on January 10.

The handyman service, which was funded by Rotherham Council and run by Yorkshire Housing, did minor jobs for elderly or vulnerable residents, such as changing lightbulbs and hanging curtains for a small charge.

Miss Marks told the full council meeting: “Elderly people out there are begging for the service, it’s a disgrace.

“They need this service putting back on straight away.

“Why has this service finished September 30, and nobody’s told anybody?

“Why have they took it off when he’s got a bookful of jobs?”

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Miss Marks added that elderly people who used the service didn’t know it was ending because they don’t have the internet.

Roger Bellamy, who was employed as the handyman, said he had up to nine jobs a day on his books when the service was free, and suggested it could be brought back, even if it ran for fewer days per week.

“It’s absolutely vital it’s brought back,” said Mr Bellamy.

“If there’s nobody to do that work, I can just visualise [customers] standing on steps on top of the stairs to change a light bulb and falling down the stairs.

“I don’t think they’ve given enough thought as to the elderly in Rotherham, how they’re going to manage when they haven’t got family.”

The council say the service was cut because it ‘duplicated’ other services, and a ‘high number’ of customers would not pay for the service if it was no longer free.

Councillor David Roche said that a survey of the service in 2020/2021 showed that ‘activity had significantly been reduced’ since it was comissioned in 2016, and a survey in September 2020 found that the handyman service was providing ‘duplicated activity’ as council services.

“Customers will be signposted to the adult social care customer support team,” added Coun Roche.