THE UNITED SOCIALIST PARTY
A Party that always campaigns for a fair and just society for all in Britain
ATTENDANT ALLOWANCE and DISABILITY LIVING ALLOWANCE
UNDER THREAT by NEW LABOUR (Green Paper)
Claimants have just a few weeks left prevent their DLA and AA being abolished.
A government green paper has revealed proposals to stop paying ‘disability benefits, for
example, attendance allowance’’ and hand the cash over to social services instead.
Under the plan, current claimants would have their disability benefits converted to a ‘personal
budget’ administered by local authorities and used to pay for services – not to spend as they
wish.
Once the green paper consultation period ends in 50 days time, if an almighty row has not
been raised, it is likely that both major political parties will see the lack of outrage as a green
light to end both DLA and AA.
We’re looking for a minimum of 1,000 claimants, carers and support workers to join our
campaign to save these benefits from being abolished.
Find out how you can take part from this link:
We know that many people will take false comfort from the fact that, unlike AA, DLA is not
specifically named as being for the axe. But if the government was planning only to abolish AA
it is extremely unlikely that they would refer constantly throughout the green paper to
‘disability benefits’, a term which includes not just AA but also DLA.
Others will dismiss this as just another idle discussion document and our concerns as scare
mongering.
But it’s much more than that.
36 meetings have already been organised around the country for people working in
government and the caring professions to meet to be told about the setting up of a new
National Care Service which would oversee the system. In addition, a stakeholders panel of
more than 50 voluntary sector organisations, trades unions and academics has been
established to offer advice to the government.
Some organisations and individuals, such as RNIB and welfare rights worker Neil Bateman
writing for Community Care magazine, have already voiced their alarm.
But not every disability organisation is opposed to the proposals and some even agree with
them.
In a press release, Disability Alliance has welcomed the publication of the green paper and said
that it ‘looks forward to working alongside Government and all the other stakeholders in
bringing these plans into fruition.’ They have even said that they agree that there is a case for
‘integrating disability benefits such as attendance allowance’ into the new system.
One thing everyone does seem to agree on is that huge cuts in public spending will have to take
place in the next few years as a result of the credit crunch and global recession.
Political parties are desperately looking for the softest targets to be the victims of these cuts.
Dismissing the green paper’s proposals as hot air and not worth worrying about could be the
costliest mistake you ever make.
Find out more about the proposed abolition of DLA and AA and how you can join our campaign
to fight back:
A squeeze on attendance allowance support
Plans to scrap allowance benefit could leave older and disabled people struggling to cope
The Guardian, Wednesday 29 July 2009
Article history
Help with housework could go out the window under plans to axe attendance allowance.
Until his heart failure last year, Brian Windles was "a strong pair of hands" for his wife
Patti, who has arthritis and lung-related problems. But when Brian was unable to help with
the housework, the Windleses realised they needed help. Without any savings or high
enough needs to qualify for social services support, they considered selling their home in
Walesby, Lincolnshire, and downsizing to free up money to pay for help.
Following advice from Age Concern and Help the Aged, they instead began claiming
£70.35 a week attendance allowance for Brian earlier this year. The social security benefit
is a universal entitlement that does not depend on where a person lives and provides cash
that can be spent on services older people want, to meet extra costs associated with
disability and old age. This could include paying someone to do the housework or
gardening, or to go grocery shopping, or taxi fares to get to the shops.
"It gives you that feeling of being a bit more in control," says Brian. "You feel better
because it takes a weight off your shoulders."
Attendance allowance is £47.10 or £70.35 a week, depending on need, and paid to 1.6
million people in Britain aged 65 and over. Yet the social care green paper, launched earlier
this month, suggests converting attendance allowance into some kind of means-tested social
care grant administered by councils.
"In developing the new system we think that there is a case for drawing some funding
streams together to enable us to deliver the new and better care and support system we want
to create," says the green paper.
It continues: "We think we should consider integrating some elements of disability benefits,
for example attendance allowance, to create a new offer for individuals with care needs."
The argument for ditching the allowance is that it is not means-tested and duplicates the
local government social care assessment and grant process. The Department of Health
argues that the current system is fragmented and complex to understand, access and
administer. "To meet the challenge of more people needing care, we want to target public
money as effectively as possible," says a DH spokesman.
"Whatever the outcome of the consultation [which runs until November], we want to ensure
that people receiving any of the relevant benefits at the time of reform would continue to
receive an equivalent level of support and protection, under a new and better care and
support system," he adds.
However, campaigners argue that attendance allowance is vital to help older people stay
independent and well for longer. Michelle Mitchell, charity director for Age Concern and
Help the Aged, explains: "That extra bit of help may help prevent, or delay the need for
more formal care." Receipt of attendance allowance can also make people eligible for
additional support as higher rates of means-tested benefits and entitlements can be
dependent on carers receiving it.
The RNIB is alarmed at the prospect of attendance allowance being scrapped because its
clients – often defined by councils as having moderate or low care needs – could lose out
entirely.
Gladys Humphries, 82, from Lowestoft in Suffolk, is blind and cares for her husband
James, 83, who has severe Alzheimer's disease. Her attendance allowance not only pays for
taxis for hospital appointments but opened the door to pension credit and council tax
benefit, resulting in an extra £150 a week. If it were scrapped she would lose all this money
and would not be able to care for her husband, since she would not qualify for a social care
grant.
Gladys cannot understand why the system should change. She says: "I would say to the
government, put yourself in my position and see how you would cope without the extra
money. Please, please think again before you do anything."
