Welsh Government Consultation summary of responses What happens when the Independent Living Fund closes?

Transcription

1 Welsh Government Consultation summary of responses What happens when the Independent Living Fund closes? Easy Read Summary Date of issue: March 2015

2 Contents Part 1 Introduction 2 Part 2 What we did 4 Part 3 What you said 7 Part 4 What happens next 17 Part 5 List of people and organisations 20 1

3 Part 1 Introduction The Independent Living Fund started in The Independent Living Fund gives money to disabled people who need a lot of support to live independently. They can use the money to get support for things like: eating cooking getting dressed cleaning 2

4 Last year, the UK Government decided to close the Independent Living Fund. The UK Government did not ask us first. 1,648 people in Wales get money from the Independent Living Fund. The Welsh Ministers have to decide what to do for these people. 3

5 Part 2 What we did We worked with: people who get money from the Independent Living Fund local councils 4

6 We came up with 4 options. We asked everyone to tell us what they think about the 4 options. We asked some extra questions too. Here are the options: Option 1 A new Independent Living Fund for Wales for people who used to get money from the Independent Living Fund Option 2 A National Independent Living Scheme for Wales for all disabled people Option 3 Local councils get more money. They can spend it on anything. Option 4 Local councils get a special grant. They must spend it on people who used to get money from the Independent Living Fund. 5

7 281 people or organisations told us what they think. There is a list of them in Part 5. Some people said they did not want their name on the list. So we did not put their name on the list. Part 3 tells you the main things that people said. Some people told us a lot. We cannot put all their ideas in Part 3. 6

8 Part 3 What you said What you said about a new Independent Living Fund for Wales Most people who get money from the Independent Living Fund want a new Independent Living Fund for Wales. People said the Independent Living Fund lets them live as independently as possible. Some people did not agree with this option. 7

9 A group for North Wales local councils said Option 1 did not fit with the Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act because: some disabled people would get treated differently councils could not use the money as part of changing local care and support 8

10 What you said about a National Independent Living Scheme Most people who get money from the Independent Living Fund support this option. Some disabled people think they may get less support. Some people and councils said: the admin costs will be too high it will only work if the UK Government keeps giving enough money to Welsh Government 9

11 What you said about giving local councils more money Very few people who get money from the Independent Living Fund support this option. People said: they don t trust local councils local councils may spend the money on other things 10

12 Some local councils support this option. They said: it is fairer it is the easiest option because local councils already sort most social care 11

13 What you said about giving a special grant to local councils This option got support from: people who get money from the Independent Living Fund local councils 12

14 They feel it is a safe option. Some people are against this option. They do not trust the local councils. 13

15 Checking Closing the Independent Living Fund is a big change. The change will affect the lives of people who used to get money from the Independent Living Fund. We need to check how the change affects them. We asked you how you think we should check. You told us: check with the person every 1 or 2 years 14

16 get Social Services and an independent organisation to check use a questionnaire do it as part of the person s annual review Most people want the checks done by: people who used to get money from the Independent Living Fund an independent person or organisation 15

17 Other information A lot of people said how money from the Independent Living Fund helps them: to be independent to make their own choices They said it was very important for their lives. 16

18 Part 4 What happens next The Minister for Health and Social Services is Mark Drakeford. The Minister: looked at what everyone said thought carefully chose Option 4 17

19 This means local councils will get a special grant. The Minister chose this because: Wednesday 1 July 2015 we need to be ready before 1 July 2015, so we need a quick option we do not know how much money the UK Government will give Wales in the future Friday 31 March 2017 The special grant to local councils will be from 1 July 2015 to 31 March The special grant for 1 July 2015 to 31 March 2016 will be enough for people to keep the same support as they have do now, unless something changes. 18

20 The new UK Government may say they will give Wales extra money for a long time. If this happens, the Minister will think again about a Welsh Independent Living Fund or a National Independent Living Scheme. We are still working on the details for the grant scheme. Wednesday 1 July 2015 The grant scheme needs to be ready for 1 July

21 Part 5 List of Respondents Age Cymru AWFPC ALP Supported Living Services Bridgend County Borough Council Arfon Access Cardiff & Vale LHB Group/ WACDS/ Gwynedd Direct Payments Forum Assembly Member for Cardiff Central Cardiff & Vale Parents Federation 20

22 Cardiff University Cardiff University Student Care Forum Wales Carers Outreach Service Carers Wales Cartefi Cymru Ceredigion County Council City & County of Swansea Conwy County Borough Council Denbighshire County Council Dewis Centre for Independent Living 21

23 Disability Wales Diverse Cymru EMG Solicitors Limited Flintshire County Council Flintshire Learning Disability Planning Partnership Lifeways inclusive lifestyles Genetic Alliance UK Member of Vaccine Victim Support Group MH/LD Directorate Merthyr Carers Network Hywel Dda University Health Board 22

24 Multiple Sclerosis Society Neath Port Talbot County Borough Council North Wales Regional ILF Group Parkinsons UK Wales Pembrokeshire County Council. Public and Commercial Services Union Pembrokeshire Parent and Carer s High Support Needs Group Rhondda Cynon Taf CBC SAIL CIC Sense Cymru 23

25 South Wales fire and rescue service Vale of Glamorgan Adult Services Welsh Therapies Advisory Committee WLGA and ADSS Wrexham Adult Social Care and 234 individuals 24