RESIDENTS who have been given special permission to have refuse collectors empty their wheeliebins and recycling boxes have been assured they have nothing to fear from being reassesed - if their case is genuine.

The district council has also scotched rumours that the sick, infirm and elderly, who are unable to trundle the heavy bins and boxes to the kerbside, will have to produce a doctors' note to avail themselves of the dispensation service.

The fears arose after it was revealed the council is to repeat interviews with people who already have dispensations and to take a tougher line with claimants in remaining areas of the district about to come on stream.

District councillor Brian Fuller (Con-Hillside) also wants to assure residents, who still want to have their rubbish collected, that personal details will be kept in strict confidence.

He said council assessors, who visit residents in their homes, are specially trained and are under strict instructions to maintain confidentiality. This follows a recent incident when on a visit, an unthinking employee disclosed details of a Barnt Green residents' illness to a neighbour.

Cllr Fuller, who is the cabinet member responsible for the environment, said it is important residents making false claims are wheedled out.

He admitted the original assesments had, in some cases, been 'over generous' - sometimes in the face of intimidation or threats to staff.

"Some householders simply refuse to co-operate saying it's not up to them to move bins and boxes, or if they are unable, refuse to ask fit family members to do so. And having a long or gravelled drive is no excuse either. But people making genuine claims have nothing to fear from a revisit."

Latest figures show that at the end of August over 6,000 applications for assistance had been received of which 3,500 had originally been granted. As a result of the review this has been reduced to around 2,600.

pete.lammas@midlands.

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