OLD folk's homes and a day centre are under threat of closure because of an £8m gap in social services funding for this year.

Council and Primary Care Trust bosses, acting as the Joint Agency Group, have come up with a range of proposals to balance the books.

News that services will be cut was revealed in a JAG report, which states: “Whilst reconfiguration rather than service reductions has been the preferred way forward, it is not possible to avoid the latter given the current financial position and the fact that ‘quick wins’ have been exhausted in delivering the 2006/7 budget.”

Options on the table at this stage include the closure of some, or all, of the four remaining council owned residential homes - Penistone’s Green Park House, Mapplewell’s Greenside House, Wombwell’s Highfield Grange and Royston’s Oakwood.

Council leader Steve Houghton says the future of the homes is entirely dependent on the outcome of a PCT-led review due to take place this summer.

Two years ago when the other three homes were closed, PCT bosses said it was so money could be channelled into encouraging independent living.

Highgate Day Centre in Goldthorpe is also under review, although Coun Houghton has given assurances the service would be provided elsewhere if it did close.

Another suggestion is to cut back on the amount of money spent on taking vulnerable adults to and from day centres.