DISABLED people in Southampton were today urging city social services bosses to scrap the introduction of means-tested benefits.

The controversial proposals, revealed by the Daily Echo last month, were due to be rubber-stamped by the city's ruling Cabinet today.

Social services chiefs hope to introduce revamped "sliding-scale" fees for direct payment services to disabled and vulnerable people.

Campaigners claim that about 30 per cent of the 2,400 people in the city who currently receive so-called "direct payments" for the services will face price rises if the changes go ahead.

City chiefs have estimated that the average weekly charge for people in the highest band would work out at £29.71.

But the rate could soar to £48.68 - a rise of 63 per cent - if the new charging system is given the go-ahead.

Ian Loynes from Southampton's Centre for Independent Living said the means-tested charges would mean that people with savings would have their money taken away to pay for essential care.

He said: "The bottom line is that the council is claiming the government is forcing it to change the way it charges people who use direct payments and we fundamentally disagree with that.

"About 70 per cent of people's disposable income could be taken away just to pay for their care.

"Obviously, we are hoping to overturn the council's proposals. We believe that they are flawed and we believe that we have put up arguments why they are."

A Southampton City Council spokesman said: "Of the 2,500 people who receive care in their own homes, 1,900 already contribute.

"The only new element of the council's plans is to introduce this for people who purchase their care using a direct payment.

"We have been told that it is not lawful to treat this type of means of purchasing care differently and we consider it is only fair for us to assess all users of our care at home services equally."