Written - Package of Measures to Assist Disabled and Older People to Live at home

This statement provides an update on progress towards implementing the £76 million package of measures I announced on 15 February. That package was to reduce the cost of home care services for disabled and older people on low incomes, and to improve the quantity and quality of other provision for service users and carers. The package included:

• increasing the margin above basic income support level before disabled and older people pay local authority charges for personal care at home (referred to as the “buffer”)
• consideration of the treatment of disability related expenditure in local authority charging for home care services
• providing £3 million per annum extra support for carers of people who have mental illness
• £12.5 million capital funding over 2 years to improve community equipment services so that adults and children will get a better service
• Providing  £9 million capital funding over 2 years to support around 10,000 people with telecare technology which will help vulnerable people to be safe at home

These changes were to take place as soon as practicable subject to consultation with relevant stakeholders as necessary.

We have already made considerable progress in taking forward this package. The Mental Health Carers Grant scheme was implemented earlier this year and public consultations have taken place on grant schemes for the funding earmarked for community equipment and telecare. There has been an enthusiastic response and bids are currently being considered.

As regards my proposals in relation to home care charging, a task group of representatives of disabled and older people, local authorities and other stakeholders has recently submitted its report to me with their recommendations. In relation to the “buffer”, currently those on basic income support levels must be left with their entire benefit plus a ‘buffer’ of 25 per cent after they have been charged for their care. This is intended to benefit disabled and older people who are on low incomes. Under the proposal put forward by the group, we would increase this buffer to 35 per cent for all home care and day services where charging applies.

In relation to disability related expenditure, the group’s proposal is to give a disability related expenditure disregard of at least 5 per cent of an individual’s basic Income Support.  This additional flat rate relief is on top of the 35 per cent and will ease some of the financial burden of home care and day services for those who already have high outgoings as a consequence of their condition or disability.

Based on the provisional costings available to the group it may be possible to go further than this 5 per cent; this will be confirmed as the final costings for these proposals are firmed while a consultation upon them is undertaken.

Having considered the group’s report I have accepted their recommendations in full. Accordingly, on 10 November I commenced a public consultation on my proposals to implement these changes. The consultation will run until 5 January 2007 and a copy of it is available at:

http://new.wales.gov.uk/consultations/currentconsultation/healandsoccarecurrcons/907196/?lang=en


Subject to the outcome, I intend to implement the proposed changes in relation to charging from April next year. These proposals go considerably further than I announced in February where I was originally seeking to reduce the impact of charging for those on low incomes receiving domiciliary personal care only.

In addition to this progress on the package I would like to take this opportunity to inform Members of a further action we are taking to assist disabled people in Wales. You will appreciate the vital contribution that aids and adaptations play in enabling the independence of disabled people. This is exemplified in the significance of wheelchairs for those whose mobility is impaired.  We are therefore making an additional £600,000 available to Health Commission Wales for the purchase of more motorised wheelchairs.  This will considerably reduce the time people are waiting for this essential equipment.