VULNERABLE tenants of two Abbeyfield Society homes in Wellington have been left in the dark about their futures after the charity failed to keep them informed about the outcome of a consultation exercise.
The tenants of Ivy House, in Corams Lane, and the Old Vicarage, in High Street, were told they would hear by the end of August if the properties were to be closed.
But this week, one tenant told the Wellington Weekly: “We have not heard anything at all.
“We do not know whether to look for somewhere else or whether to stay put.
“It is really upsetting for everybody.”
An Abbeyfield spokeswoman told the Wellington Weekly consultations were still ongoing at both homes, which offer a total of 55 flats for elderly people to live independent lives.
The spokeswoman said: “We are moving the process along as quickly as we can to minimise disruption and uncertainty, and we continue to be in regular contact with residents.
“However, it is important that all potential alternative options are explored before any decisions are made.
“We are planning to contact residents again soon to give them more of an idea of timescales.”
The delay comes as the scale of Abbeyfield proposed closures nationwide became clear, with similar ‘consultations’ being carried out at nearly half of its homes across England.
Abbeyfield said it was looking at the futures of 43 of the 105 homes it manages nationwide.
It said the total cost of the investment it needed to make across the 43 properties if they were kept open was estimated at £35 million over the next five years.
The Wellington Weekly can reveal the charity has claimed it would need to spend about £2.6 million on Ivy House and the Old Vicarage to meet ongoing energy efficiency, health and safety, and fire safety requirements.
But the figures have been contested by tenants and town councillors, who have formed a working party to liaise with Abbeyfield on how to avoid residents losing their homes.
Abbeyfield said its review of the two properties formed part of its ‘duty and responsibility to robustly assess and understand future cost implications’ to feed into its long-term business and financial planning, which it shared with its housing and care regulators.
It said the estimated investment in Wellington was to meet the minimum requirements and did not take into account any changes in regulations which might occur in the next five years.
Abbeyfield, which was founded in 1956 and counts Dame Judy Dench among its patrons, has denied the consultations were in response to any financial pressures.
However, the charity’s last set of published accounts showed it lost £15.1 million in the year to March 31, 2022, compared to a £1.3 million profit the previous year.
Charity chairman Jenny Lawrence said at the time: “Our ambition to showcase how we support older people and the wellbeing benefits that living with us brings, continues to be am important focus.
“Given the backdrop of sector challenges, increasing loneliness among the older population, the impact of the later retirement age, and future financial status, the Abbeyfield offer is as relevant today as it has ever been.”