Glasgow City Council is to reduce its sheltered housing budget by £1 million with the shortfall expected to be made up from rent rises, according to reports.

The Evening Times has said the move to meet the need for council budget savings will see a cut of one third down from the current budget of £3m.

It is the latest cutback which has seen the cash available to housing associations for older people across the city more than halved in three years.

Following a review in 2014 of sheltered housing needs and services the budget was cut from £5m to £3m.

Housing providers have been told of the latest cut who have begun informing tenants by letter that changes will be made to services.

They have been asked to inform the council how they propose to deliver services with a reduction starting from December this year.

The council stated that sheltered housing services were created 50 years ago in a different period of time for a different population, many of whom were relatively healthy, fit older people downsizing from larger family homes.

If housing associations want to retain their current warden services to the almost 3000 sheltered tenants in the city, they have been told they will have to decide on alternative funding methods including looking at increasing tenants’ rents to pay for it.

In a report to the Integration Joint Board, which oversees health and social care services, Susanne Miller, chief social work officer, said: “The service is not targeted exclusively to those with a social care need.”

She added that housing providers determine who accesses their services and many are not known to social work.

She added: “This is clearly at odds with a social work service that purposefully targets its resources at those whose needs are consistent with specified eligibility criteria.”

Ms Miller admitted: “These proposals can be expected to significantly impact on the continued provision of sheltered housing services in the city.”

Social work believes that current provision is targeted at moderate to low needs whereas it wants to target cash at substantial and critical needs.

Telecare and greater use of technology including GPS tracking will be used to replace personal checks and calls by staff.

A spokesman for Glasgow City Council said: “This saving is a direct consequence of the overall squeeze on public sector budgets.

“Sheltered housing has been a well-received service over the years, but many people in this kind of accommodation have no need for social care support.

“At a time of contracting budgets, we must direct our social care resources towards those who have been assessed with specific support needs.

“The technology available to support providers has improved dramatically in recent years and modern, innovative approaches to care and support are being developed.

“We envisage a system that is flexible and appropriately tailored to the needs of individual older people living in their own home for as long as possible.”