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Kettering & Wellingborough Liberal DemocratsWorking for you, all year round - not just at election time! |
Tories to scrap stair lift funding for the vulnerable
October 10, 2006 12:04 PM
In a truly remarkable 'u-turn' the Conservative County Council has agreed to withdraw Repair and Maintenance support for the specialist lifting equipment helping 1600 vulnerable people to continue to live at home.
County Councillor David Garlick, Lib Dem Spokesman for Social Care Services said:
"This is the latest in a long line of cuts to services for vulnerable people by this Conservative Administration and one which, when the Labour party tried to cut this service in 2004 the Tories opposed, tooth and nail. This opposition was led by many of the current senior Tories including the Leader and Cabinet members. Now these same councillors are making the same proposal.
This report talks comfortingly about "significant partnership work" with the District Councils, its partners, who are left to sort out any problems. A number of those Districts are already struggling to meet the demand for Disabled Facility Grants and this will make the position far worse for them and worse for the others too."
District Councils are unlikely to agree to install new equipment after 5 years when the warranty expires unless and until the equipment becomes 'uneconomical to repair'. Until that happens all repair costs will fall on the 'Owner', the disabled person who will have to fund an extension to the warranty or face a series of expensive repairs over many years.
Sadly there has, as yet, been no consultation with the users of this equipment, many of whom are already reeling from any combination of reduced provision due to changes to the eligibility criteria, increased charges for any services they retain, reduction in the availability of respite care etc. With further cuts on the way where will they get the help that they need?
This is yet another service that could have been saved with just a small part of the Four Million Pounds of Council Tax spurned by this administration (had they accepted the Lib Dem budget proposals last February). Money that is not only lost to those vulnerable people this year, but in every year to come.
"Disabled Facility Grants" are available from District and Borough Councils although there is a limit to them. Equipment is guaranteed for five years. What the County Council is proposing is NOT to maintain or repair any equipment that has exceeded the five year guarantee period and advising people to apply to the District Councils for grants to replace the equipment thereby withdrawing the County from this service completely and pushing it onto overstretched District Councils.
ENDS
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