Mencap launches housing survey

Wednesday 19 January 2011

Mencap is surveying people with a learning disability about the challenges they face finding appropriate housing.

Mencap's head of policy and campaigns David Congdon said Mencap does not believe people with a learning disability have good choices when it comes to deciding where they live.

"We want to find out more about where people with a learning disability currently live - whether in their own home, with family or their parents, or in a residential care home," Mr Congdon said.

"More importantly, we also want to find out whether where they are living meets their needs.

"We also want to know what challenges and barriers there are when people want to find more appropriate accommodation.

"For example, we want to know if people cannot afford to rent in areas where their support networks are or whether their local councils are refusing or unable to provide people with the support they need to live independently."

The survey also asks about the types of benefit and support people are currently receiving and their safety and experiences of hate crime at home.

"In an environment where exempt housing benefit is being reviewed, it is important to uncover the issues people are facing," Mr Congdon said.

For more information, or to take part in the poll, go to http://www.mencap.org.uk/page.asp?id=13830.

-ENDS-

For further information, photographs or to arrange an interview contact Nicola Thompson on 020 7696 5603, email nicola.thompson@mencap.org.uk or 07770 656 659 if calling out of hours.

Notes to editors

• About Mencap

Mencap supports the 1.5 million people with a learning disability in the UK and their families and carers. Mencap fights to change laws and improve services and access to education, employment and leisure facilities, supporting thousands of people with a learning disability to live their lives the way they want.

We are also one of the largest service providers of services, information and advice for people with a learning disability across England, Northern Ireland and Wales. See http://www.mencap.org.uk/ for more information.

• About learning disability

A learning disability is caused by the way the brain develops before, during or shortly after birth. It is always lifelong and affects someone's intellectual and social development. It used to be called mental handicap but this term is outdated and offensive. Learning disability is NOT a mental illness.

The term learning difficulty is often incorrectly used interchangeably with learning disability.