WE sympathise with Peter Wiffen who is facing an increase of 400 per cent in day care costs for his wife who is suffering from Alzheimer’s.

A little over a year ago, the cost of treatment for 76-year-old Evelyn was £10 for a daily session at the St Hilda’s Day Centre, in Darlington – but that is about to rise to £50.78.

Darlington Borough Council says the reason for the increase is that a primary care trust subsidy is being redirected to other mental health services.

Under the new rules, Mr and Mrs Wiffen are not entitled to any financial help because they have a pension and savings, which are being used to fund the treatment.

In other words, they are being penalised for living within their means all their lives and saving for their old age. Had they not been so thrifty, and planned ahead, at least some of the costs would have been met.

The Alzheimer’s Society says tens of thousands of people are effectively paying a “dementia tax” and the Wiffens’ case illustrates why there needs to be an overhaul of the way social care is paid for.

Alzheimer’s is a cruel and heartbreaking disease, which puts a great deal of stress for those left to look after their loved ones.

We appreciate the enormous challenges facing health services and local authorities as they strive to balance budgets that have been drastically cut.

But everything possible must be done to ease the burden facing carers like Peter Wiffen.