A coalition of disability charities has signed an open letter calling on
the Government
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tax
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income tax
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,
VAT
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and
council tax
Council
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local authority
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social care
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(support for people), parks and dustbin collection.
. They are a group of people who make decisions about some of the things in the area where you live. These include: schools, social care (support for people), parks and dustbin collection.
Tax is the money that people pay to the
council
A council is also called a
local authority
A local authority is also called a council. They are a group of people who make decisions about some of the things in the area where you live like schools,
social care
Social care means the services that give care and support to people who need it.
(support for people), parks and dustbin collection.
. They are a group of people who make decisions about some of the things in the area where you live. These include: schools, social care (support for people), parks and dustbin collection.
. It helps to pay for things like social care (support for people), parks and dustbin collection.
.
people should pay and how things like the National Health
Service
A service gives people what they need, like healthcare services that help people when they are ill, and support services that give people support.
(
NHS
The NHS is the National Health Service. The NHS gives free healthcare to everyone in the UK and includes things like your GP (doctors) surgery and hospitals.
) should work.
to end the growing uncertainty around future funding for the supported housing sector, which is a lifeline for disabled people who want to live independently and access their
community
A community is the people and places in an area.
.
Since last year’s Autumn statement, when the Government announced that they intend to cap Housing Benefit rates for the social housing sector at the same level as the Local Housing Allowance from 2018 onwards, supported housing providers have been forced to put on hold future developments that offer disabled people the safety and security of a home to live in.
The Government has continually delayed any further announcement, meaning the future of supported housing has been put into question. If the LHA cap were to go ahead:
- 40% of existing supported accommodation schemes at risk of closure, meaning disabled tenants at risk of losing their home
- 80% of planned supported housing projects being built.*
Jan Tregelles, chief executive of the
learning disability
A learning disability is to do with the way someone's brain works. It makes it harder for someone to learn, understand or do things.
charity Mencap and who signed the letter, said:
Supported housing is a lifeline for disabled people who want to live independently, feel part of their community and have control over where they call home. It is the foundation for a more independent life for many people with a learning disability, and supports the move away from housing people in inappropriate accommodation, such as Assessment
An assessment is a way of finding out what help a person needs. When you have an assessment, you might have to go to a meeting or fill in a form. and Treatment Units, where people may be at an increased risk of abuse
Abuse is when someone bullies you and does or says something to you that makes you feel hurt, upset or scared. and neglect
Neglect is when you are not being cared for or supported. .
The pressure on supported housing is already immense, with at least 900 more supported homes required every year for people with a learning disability alone. The recent Government announcement of a cap on Housing Benefit rates for supported housing has created an uncertainty that has forced providers to put on hold plans to buy or build new properties, and which is likely to turn this pressure into a crisis.”
It is now key that the Government does their part and offers the certainty the sector desperately needs. We urge the Government to provide this by removing the threat of the LHA cap and by creating a sustainable long-term funding structure for supported housing going forward, so people with a learning disability can live independent lives and access their community.
Raphaela and Glynn Derrick, Roma and Charles DeSilva, Margaret and Alan Summers, Mary and Garry Davies are parents of Cliona, Leanne, Christopher and Hugh who all heave a learning disability and live together in a supported housing property in Ilford said:
Our children all have a learning disability and need extra support in their day to day lives, but they still have the desire to be independent and enjoy the same opportunities as other young people. One evening we sat together and drew up a ‘wish list’ of what we would need for them to live together as friends, with 24-hour support in order for them to have their own lives independent from their parents. Supported housing offered us this and so much more.
Since moving into their own home they have grown in confidence, independence
Independence means doing things on your own. Making your own choices. , enjoy socialising and are even planning their first holiday together. With the current shortage of housing finding adapted houses for disabled people is even harder, but supported housing gives people this opportunity.
It has transformed their lives and ours in a way we couldn’t imagine. We’d feel deeply concerned if giving people with a learning disability this opportunity to live independently became even harder.
Open Letter to Secretary for Work and Pensions, published here:
Dear Secretary of State for Work and Pensions,
Supported housing is a lifeline for disabled people who want to live independently in the community. However, since last year’s Autumn Statement, when the Government announced that they intend to cap Housing Benefit rates at the same level as the Local Housing Allowance from 2018 onwards, a shadow of uncertainty has been cast over the entire supported housing sector.
We had hoped for this uncertainty to be lifted by now, and that the sector would have been made aware of a positive resolution about its future. Instead, we have been told that it could continue until at least October this year, if not beyond.
A decision to go ahead with a crude LHA cap would put 40% of existing supported accommodation schemes at threat of closure, putting many tenants at risk of losing their homes. The uncertainty around this issue has also already stopped the development of 80% of planned supported housing projects being built. Many tenants may in future be at risk of being sent to inappropriate accommodation which does not support their right to live independently in the community with appropriate support.
For many disabled people supported housing is their only access to the safety and security of their own home. It gives people choice over where they live and the ability to have some control over their lives. It can be more expensive to build, often requires adaptation and incurs higher maintenance costs due to the complexity of tenants’ needs. But without it disabled people’s ability to live independently would be severely limited.
The continued uncertainty around how supported housing will be funded is causing a housing crisis for disabled people. We urge the Government to end this uncertainty and make it clear as a matter of urgency that the LHA cap will play no part in the review of how supported housing will be financed from 2018 onwards and beyond.
Signed by:
- Jan Tregelles, Chief Executive of Mencap
- Paul Farmer, Chief Executive of Mind
- Richard Kramer, Deputy Chief Executive of Sense
- Lesley-Anne Alexander, Chief Executive of RNIB
- Mark Lever, Chief Executive of National Autistic Society
- Vicky McDermott, Chief Executive of Papworth Trust
- Mark Elliott, Director of Development, Leonard Cheshire
- Tracey Lazard, CEO of Inclusion London
- Sally Light, Chief Executive of MND Association
- Mark Winstanley, Chief Executive of Rethink Mental Illness
- Tim Cooper, Chief Executive of United Response
- Elizabeth Bates,
Chief Executive Officer
A Chief Executive Officer (CEO) is the person in charge of a company or group.
Our acting CEO is Jackie O'Sullivan.
at Deafblind UK - Steve Scown, Chief Executive of Dimensions
- Jolanta Lasota, Chief Executive of Ambitious about
Autism
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- Alicia Wood, Chief Executive of Housing and Support Alliance
-ENDS-
For further information or to arrange interviews, please contact the Mencap press office on 020 7696 5414 or media@mencap.org.uk or for out of hours 07770 656 659.
Notes to editors
*Figures from the National Housing Federation: https://www.housing.org.uk/blog/tell-us-how-you-think-supported-housing-should-be-funded/
Mencap Housing PDF Report: http://bit.ly/2avmfgf
About Mencap
There are 1.4 million people with a learning disability in the UK. Mencap works to support people with a learning disability, their families and carers by fighting to change laws, improve services and access to
education
Education is when you learn things. When you fill in a form to get a job, education means you write where you went to school, college or university.
,
employment
Employment means having a job.
and
leisure
Leisure is when you have time to do things you enjoy like playing sports or going to the pub.
facilities. Mencap supports thousands of people with a learning disability to live their lives the way they want.
For advice and information about learning disability and Mencap services in your area, contact Mencap Direct on 0808 808 1111 (9am-5pm, Monday-Friday) or email help@mencap.org.uk
What is a learning disability?
A learning disability is a reduced intellectual ability which can cause problems with everyday tasks – for example shopping and cooking, or travelling to new places – which affects someone for their whole life.
People with a learning disability can take longer to learn new things and may need support to develop new skills, understand difficult information and engage with other people. The level of support someone needs is different with every individual. For example, someone with a severe learning disability might need much more support with daily tasks than someone with a mild learning disability.
Learning disability is NOT a mental illness or a learning difficulty. Very often the term ‘learning difficulty’ is wrongly used interchangeably with ‘learning disability’.