Disabled cash row eased

The National Housing Federation applauded the changes to the ‘right to control’, which allows disabled people to decide how to spend funding for supported housing, help with employment, home adaptations and care.

The NHF had feared that accommodation-based services, such as hostels, would be threatened if tenants were given control of all £1.6 billion Supporting People funding because the schemes would need all tenants to buy support from the landlord in order to be viable. The government announced last week that eight local authority areas will pilot the right to control scheme including Leicester, Barnet, Newham, Redcar and Cleveland. Barnsley and Sheffield councils will run one trailblazer together while Essex and Surrey councils will run schemes with several of their districts. The Greater Manchester pilot will include Manchester, Oldham, Bury, Stockport and Trafford councils.

The pilots will only include floating support, which is provided separately from accommodation. The government added that only services that help people overcome barriers relating to their condition will be included.

Amy Swan, policy officer at the NHF, said: ‘We are really pleased it is just focused on those areas. It shows they have listened to concerns we had and are keen for the pilots to have a positive impact.’

The councils and Jobcentre Plus will share £7 million of government funding to set up the pilots. Regulations governing the trailblazers, which will start before the end of the year, are out for consultation until 19 May 2010.

Jonathan Shaw, minister for disabled people, said: ‘The local authorities announced today will be at the forefront of this innovative approach to delivering services to disabled people, and will help identify whether right to control should be rolled out more widely.’

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