A VULNERABLE MS patient who handed responsibility for her finances over to social services has had her phone line cut off twice after bills weren’t paid on time.

Bedridden Rosemary Roskilly, 60, and her live-in carer Brenda Caddell were unable to make outgoing calls from their home in Russet Drive, St Albans, for more than a week up until Monday.

Ms Caddell said the phone bills had been forwarded to social services and that the final demand for payment was given to Ms Roskilly’s social worker on Saturday, June 5.

The phone line, which is provided by italk, was also cut off back in November after a similar situation occurred.

Ms Cadell said of her patient: “She is getting really angry about it but she has been told that she is not allowed to get too stressed out. I just think it’s disgusting the way she is being treated.”

She also claimed that Ms Roskilly has requested bank statements on numerous occasions to no avail.

The phone line was finally connected on Monday afternoon despite Herts County Council insisting that they had asked the provider to reconnect Ms Roskilly as a matter of urgency on Friday afternoon.

A spokesperson for adult care services, which became “corporate financial appointees” for Ms Roskilly a few years ago, said that the problem had arisen because the bills were not being sent directly to the county council.

While she said adult care services had made attempts to get Ms Roskilly to sign a letter so that the bills could be sent to them directly, Ms Caddell denied that was the case.

The spokesperson continued: “Rosemary’s phone bills are issued monthly with very little grace period for payment before her phone line is cut off.”

She added that any delay in bills being forwarded left Ms Roskilly vulnerable to having her line cut off.

Phone company italk said they were unable to comment on the case due to data protection laws.