Disabled elderly people say they will “be left to lie down and die” after cuts to a scheme which provides subsidised taxi journeys for those with severe mobility problems.

The Taxicard service, which has 90,000 members across London, gives disabled people who have complex problems and struggle to use public transport a lifeline by paying for door-to-door taxi trips.

But under pressure for cuts from the Mayor of London, funding for the scheme was cut drastically by London Councils last year, and from April, Harrow Council decided to limit the amount of journeys that could be claimed by users to 104 per financial year, and set a passenger contribution of £2.50 per journey.

And for those who also hold a Freedom Pass for public transport, or a disabled blue badge, councillors decided to limit the number of journeys to 52 – and some pensioners say they have already run out.

Sylvia Dorff, 89, of Stanmore, says she does not want to give up her blue badge because it allows her daughter to drive her around the borough, but she only has ten Taxicard journeys left and fears when they run out she will trapped in her home until April when she receives next year’s allowance.

Ms Dorff, who is disabled and uses two walking sticks and a frame, said she relied on the service to get to and from hospital appointments and could not afford to pay the full amount for taxi journeys.

She added: “I think it’s disgraceful and I’m having a lot of problems – if I haven’t got a Taxicard life is very difficult for me because it means once these trips are finished, I’ll have to spend money on normal taxis which is costing me a fortune.

“They’re penalising people like me, and I just hope that one day people won’t have to go through what I’m going through because I’m in terrible pain.

“I’ll be trapped in my home and I couldn’t bear that, but I’m a fighter – there are people who will just give up and be left to lie down and die because they can’t get out.

“It’s ridiculous – absolutely wicked – and if I came face-to-face with the person who took this decision I would lose my temper, believe me.”

Every council in the capital had to choose how it dealt with the loss of funding, with some, such as Hillingdon and Tower Hamlets, choosing to protect the scheme.

Richmond upon Thames Council took a similar approach to Harrow last year, but after an uproar from campaigners and research that showed that disabled people were leaving home less as a result of the changes, they reversed the limit of 54 journeys on those with a Freedom Pass or blue badge and reinstated it to 104.

Millie Peters, 92, also of Stanmore, who has severe arthritis and a daily carer to help her wash and eat, wants Harrow to do the same.

She said: “Rest assured that my journeys are nearly finished, I’ve only ten or 12 left and I’m not alone – there are others that have the same situation and we have to get the council to do something.

“I went to the doctor’s this morning and the trip cost £10, and that’s a lot of money to me – that’s two journeys to get there and back so you can see that 52 a year goes nowhere.

“I’ve tried to get them to change it but they’re not prepared to listen to me – I can’t get on the buses unless someone is available to go with me, so when they say I should use my Freedom Pass it’s a fallacy.”

Councillor Husain Akhtar, who represents the two women’s ward, is calling for the council to rethink its policy, using the example of Richmond.

He said: “I know the council is looking for cuts but perhaps it can learn from Richmond upon Thames in this case.

“I have unsuccessfully tried to reason with the collections and housing benefits team to consider individual circumstances but was told there can’t be any exceptions – I’m disappointed by a straight jacket approach.”

“This change has caused serious problems for many elderly residents in my ward who now go out less often with obvious implications, including isolation.”

The <i>Harrow Times</i> is waiting for a response from Harrow Council.