Charging each Powys badge holder �2 would raise �6,000

Instead, Powys council may have to cut the proposed fee affecting 3,000 people to �2.

Welsh councils have been allowed to charge for services such as the issuing of disabled parking badges for the past 18 months.

But a Powys council spokesman said it had received new information from the Welsh assembly's transport unit that the council could charge a maximum of only �2.

"We have sent a letter to service users informing them of the fairer charging changes and asking them for their views by the start of February," said the spokesman.

"No decision will be made until after this consultation period has ended and we will investigate the new information from the assembly's transport unit."

Mid Wales Liberal Democrat AM Mick Bates said he was outraged: "The fact of the matter is Powys council cannot charge more than �2 for issuing a disabled person's parking badge.

"I find it hard to see how the council thinks this is a worthwhile exercise.

"When you consider the terrible social cost of this move, the cost of implementing such a scheme must far outweigh the benefits."

Pensioners' campaigner, Bill Evans, from Machynlleth, said the council was putting financial pressure on the old and infirm.

Mr Evans, 79, himself a disabled parking badge holder, added: "Targeting the old and infirm in this way is wrong," he added.

It is believed that the council could abandon plans to charge each badge holder �2 because the �6,000 raised would not be too small.