THE family of a 91-year-old pensioner claim he has paid hundreds of pounds on a care package, not knowing he could have shopped around.

Harold Brown had been paying £75 a week to Ryfields Retirement Village for its ExtraCare package - when he could have chosen a different company.

Warrington Borough Council this week agreed to look into Mr Brown's case - which could see hundreds of other pensioners benefit.

The issue came to light when sisters Val Daniels, of Latchford, and Tracey Walmsley, of Orford, cancelled Ryfields' ExtraCare package for their dad because they said it failed to meet his needs.

The women thought their only option was to care for him themselves, until they discovered he could qualify for the council's 'direct payment' scheme and use the money to 'buy' his care from anywhere he wanted.

Mrs Daniels said: "Basically, social services let my dad believe that if he lived in Ryfields, he would have to accept the care on offer, when actually he was entitled to choose another carer who could offer a better or cheaper alternative.

"We are very upset. Had we been happy with the care my father was receiving at Ryfields this would never have emerged."

In a statement to the Warrington Guardian, Pam Smith, head of service for older people and people with a physical disability at Warrington Borough Council, said: "We have already advised the family that we are looking into the possibility of direct payments for the gentleman involved in this case."

But in a letter from Ms Smith to Mrs Daniels, she said: "Should the council grant direct payments for people at Ryfields, this would mean that the scheme was in jeopardy, and such things as the CareCall system and many of the additional facilities at Ryfields that form part of the contract would not be available."

Nick Pyle, of Age Concern Warrington, said: "It appears that residents at Ryfields, when assessed by social services, were not routinely advised that they had the option of direct payments. When challenged, they advised residents that the entitlement to direct payment did not apply to Ryfields.

"Age Concern Warrington believes that until social services has established the legal position, they are bound by the current requirements. Until they can establish that they are not required to offer direct payments, the default position is that direct payments must be offered to all."

Richard Tower, spokesman for ExtraCare, which owns Ryfields, said: "ExtraCare provides services to a number of residents in the village who receive care support.

"Direct payments are a matter for the local authority not ExtraCare. In this case, it is our understanding that the local authority has been trying to get in touch with our resident to secure direct payment for him."