With the new Right to Control scheme disabled people will be able to decide how to spend their money on their own assistance services and equipment where the moneys come from seperate schemes. The Right to Control programme is designed to give those in receipt of assistance such as disability living allowance a more personalised service, joining up, as it does, housing, mobility, employment and community care. So if a person with a disability requires extra wheelchair access in their home or a disability car then finding the money should be less complicated.
The DWP states that advice will be available to assist people when they choose services and decide how to use the money if they want to change the type of assistance they are currently receiving. Maria Miller, Minister for Disabled People said: “This is about increasing personalisation and putting disabled people in charge of their own decision making, instead of telling them what they can and can’t spend their money on.
“Disabled people should have the same choices and opportunities as everyone else and I am convinced that this will help to deliver the greater independence that disabled people tell me they want.
“I need to make it clear that Right to Control does not change eligibility for these services, but means that disabled people can use their funding more flexibly.”
Disability lobby group Trailblazers, local authorities, city and borough councils, Jobcentre Plus and other disabled people’s outreach organisations such as Motability are set to work with disabled people to create specific support schedules suited to the specific needs of the client. Each plan will make more efficient use of the money which is available to each person, making it easier to reach their objectives.
The plan is to spend £7million on making changes that will enable delivery of the Right to Control programme which is set to be launched on 13 December by Essex county, Leicester city, Barnet and Newham, Epsom and Ewell, Reigate and Banstead borough councils.
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