Only 433 Oxford City Council tenants are now getting free minor repair work on their homes.

In December 2002, the city council said it was revamping its repairs service, but would no longer pay for some jobs on its 8,000 houses.

The council's executive board agreed tenants would have to pay for minor repairs, including internal timberwork, bath panels, blocked sinks, fencing and tiling.

The decision -- expected to save the council about £250,000 a year -- followed warnings that Oxford Building Solutions was overspending by £1m a year.

Elderly tenants or those with disabilities, who also have no relatives who can help them, are exempt.

The housing scrutiny committee heard that 2,059 applications for exemptions had been received, representing 25 per cent of all tenants.

The applications have been analysed, and while 433 tenants have been told they are eligible, 1,215 have been told they are not.

Twenty-six tenants have withdrawn their applications, and 385 tenants have yet to produce additional information needed to assess their claims.

Work costing £21,897 has been carried out so far for 87 tenants who are entitled to the free work.

Bill Baker, deputy leader of the council, said: "We have put in place a fair policy, which means that people who genuinely can't complete minor repair work and have no family living nearby, will get the help they need from the council."

Mary-Jane Sareva, of Oxford Federation of Tenants' Association, said: "Some tenants will find it hard to get the money for repairs and their homes will fall into a worse state of repair. I would like the council to drop this policy."