Older people could be forced to wait years longer for cut-price leisure facilities under a proposed shake-up of council discounts.
Some disabled users could be stripped of the right altogether, while creche subsidies could be slashed and cheap refreshments abolished.
The proposals are the result of two years’ work by an Aberdeen City Council-commissioned review of the Access to Leisure scheme.
The sweeping changes are due to be discussed by the council’s finance policy and resources committee next week.
But amid condemnation of the “disturbing” proposals, the administration looks set to ask for them to be re-examined.
The report, based on work by Sport Aberdeen, says discounts should no longer go to all over-60s but only to those at state retirement age – which is due to rise to 66 by October 2020, and 67 by 2028.
No current holders would have them taken away.
An option for only welfare-claiming OAPs to qualify remains up for future discussion along with the idea of requiring GP referrals.
However, the report does not rule out ending free-of-charge swimming sessions in future.
A move to exclude people with physical and learning disabilities unless they claimed benefits sparked fury last night.
It is believed around 150 people with physical or learning disabilities could lose their cards.
But the report says that if they are not claiming benefits, they may be working and able to pay full price.
David Forbes, chairman of charity Future Choices, which was set up in reaction to disability service cuts, said it was “ridiculous”.
He said: “I get very frustrated when disabled people are targeted like this. They already feel brushed off by Westminster and now they are going to get it locally too.”
Other categories to be axed from the automatic eligibility list include widows, the recently bereaved and asylum seekers.
One of the biggest savings will come from reducing the creche discount from 50% to 25% and reserving it only for those doing physical exercise.
The early years’ service is spending £50,000 a year on the service – two and a half times what it budgeted for.
The report claims too many parents are taking up limited places while they go shopping or just need temporary childcare.
Almost 60,000 cards are in circulation – around two thirds assigned to the over 60s – but only 5,126 have been used in the last year. Three quarters of active users are under 65.
SNP education spokesman Alex Nicoll said: “I can’t think of a group in our society that it is more inappropriate to target with cuts.
“These are the very people who have it the hardest.
“I find it almost unbelievable that this has been brought forward.”
The A2L scheme – which includes access to council-run facilities as well as Sport Aberdeen, Garthdee Alpine Snowsports Centre and Aberdeen Sports Village – is due to be re-launched with a new name in April.
Council finance convener Willie Young defended the principle of looking at whether people who had the means to pay for such services themselves should qualify for help when spending needed to be cut.
“Where people need help we will give help. Where people can afford to do things it’s right that they could pay for that service,” he said.
But he stressed that the proposed changes had been brought to the authority by the steering group and may not be implemented.
He intends to recommend instead that they be sent first for consideration by the council’s Disability Advisory Group.
