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Two major older people’s charities are considering legal action to force the government to tackle the widespread loss of resident wardens.

Officials from Help the Aged and Age Concern England were due to meet today to decide the steps needed to stop councils pushing through the removal of resident wardens without consultation.

Help the Aged housing policy officer Joe Oldman said the government and the Housing Corporation needed to take a stronger line to protect residents. The joint lobbying could result in a legal challenge or recommendations on how sheltered housing should be regulated.

One suggestion could be for the new housing regulator, the Tenant Services Authority, to introduce a grading system for sheltered housing.

Mr Oldman said: ‘There has been ongoing withdrawal of wardens, but [tenants] have been told all sorts of nonsense about why that’s happening. They have been told things like: “we’re re-visioning provision”. People are not stupid: they know when they’re being patronised or talked down to.’

The charity has asked its legal expert Jean Gould for advice on the legality of altering warden services against tenants’ wishes and on which agency should be held accountable.

It will publish a report in October outlining a set of common problems faced by tenants whose warden services are being reduced. These include buck-passing between providers and commissioning local authorities, causing confusion over which organisation is responsible for the changes.

Mr Oldman also said there was a ‘complete lack of transparency’ over what tenants’ service charges paid for. He added: ‘I don’t think it’s good enough for [the government] or the Housing Corporation to say this is down to local negotiation. It’s the responsibility of government to set out the framework and terms of engagement.’