House-bound pensioner Joyce Parrott has been told her plea for a wheelchair ramp has been put to the front of the queue - but she will have to pay for it herself.

Mrs Parrott, 76, of Saxon Close, Wallingford, has not been able to get out of her own home for eight weeks because her house does not have a ramp.

Yesterday, Mrs Parrott, who is wheelchair bound due to osteoarthritis, was featured in the Oxford Mail complaining her case was caught up in red tape involving the South Oxfordshire Housing Association (SOHA) and Oxfordshire Social Services. The housing association said it could not act until her case was referred to it by the social services, which claimed it already has passed on the paperwork to the association.

Yesterday SOHA made a U-turn and offered to help straight away. But Mrs Parrott and her husband, John, 70, were told they would have to pay for a ramp if they have more than £5,000 in their bank account.

Mr Parrott said: "Unfortunately, we have got that amount. We have spent a lot of money already on things for my wife, including a £3,500 wheelchair, so my wife isn't happy about it.

"We found out about it when a woman from the housing association phoned us up and said her boss told her to get moving on our case and then arranged to see us next Friday.

"Then she told us about the money. The thing is, even early on in the case, I said I was willing to pay for the ramp myself anyway. Then I was informed that we could get it paid for, but it turns out that was how it used to be under the council."

No one was available for comment on Mr Parrott's claims last night.

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