LORD Low of Dalston is to chair an independent review into how the personal mobility needs of people living in state-funded residential care are met.
Leading disability charities Leonard Cheshire Disability and Mencap asked Lord Low to conduct the 12 week review, which aims to gather evidence from individuals living in state-funded residential care and their families, care providers and local authorities.
Its brief will include how disabled people’s needs are met, how they are funded, and what responsibilities care home providers and local authorities have in relation to the mobility needs of residents.
The findings from the review will be published in the autumn enabling peers to consider the evidence and the review’s recommendations as they debate the Welfare Reform Bill.
The Bill as it stands would give Government the power to stop paying the mobility component of the Personal Independence Payment, which is set to replace Disability Living Allowance, to thousands of people living in residential care.
It has already passed through the House of Commons and is set to move to the House of Lords in September.
The planned measure has prompted strong opposition from many disabled people, their families and disability charities, since it was announced in the Comprehensive Spending Review in October 2010. There is a widespread fear that removal of the benefit could leave 80,000 disabled people without the funds to meet extra transport costs such as maintaining an electric wheelchair or paying for accessible transport, leaving them trapped at home.
Lord Low said: “The proposed removal of mobility payments from people living in residential care potentially has a significant impact on the lives of disabled people and it is therefore vital that there is a public and comprehensive look at this issue.
“I hope that the Minister for Disabled People, Maria Miller, will engage with the review, and I urge disabled people, providers and local authorities to take this opportunity to contribute publicly.”
Pauline Bardon, the mother of a disabled teenager who hopes to go to residential college, has accepted a position on the review’s steering group.
She said: “The removal of this lifeline payment will have a devastating impact on my 18-year-old daughter Gabriella, who has Rett Syndrome, a neurological and developmental condition. Next year Gabriella is hoping to go to a residential college, but if she loses her mobility allowance she won’t be able to get there or back again and in the college holidays will be housebound. This could take away her opportunity to continue her education and learn valuable life skills.”
Sue Brown, head of public policy at the national deafblind charity Sense, said: “Sense welcomes this independent review and hopes it will lead to an informed debate into the mobility needs of disabled people living in residential care.
“But we are disappointed that the Government has yet to offer full disclosure on its review, and remain very concerned that the power to remove the mobility component Personal Independence Payment remains in the Welfare Reform Bill despite the serious concerns raised again and again by disabled people.”
To take part in the review visit: http://lowreview.org.uk
Deadline, midnight Monday October 10.
