RADAR has hailed a Government commitment to ensure the new free personal care offer for people with 'critical plus' needs is portable as a major breakthrough for disabled people's human rights. 

The commitment came in response to an amendment tabled to the Personal Care at Home Bill by Baroness Jane Campbell who was also instrumental in securing the Government commitment to a national portable assessment in the social care green paper. 

Joint Deputy CEO Caroline Ellis said today:

"Jane has achieved a fantastic breakthrough for disabled people with the highest support needs.  Once this Bill and supporting regulations are implemented recipients of free personal care would be able to move for personal or professional reasons without the fear and worry and stress of having to renegotiate their entitlement from scratch.” 

“As we understand it the Government intends to make regulations ensuring that the new local authority will pick up funding responsibility without the need for an immediate reassessment, making continuity of care and support much easier to achieve. Currently people face months if not years often of worry and uncertainty and for anyone with critical needs any hiatus could be disastrous for health and wellbeing as well as putting families under unacceptable strain. This is a hugely important milestone but our end goal is portability for all disabled people with support packages and we will never let up the pressure for that."

For more information please contact:

Caroline Ellis                                    email: caroline.ellis@radar.org.uk        

Joint Deputy CEO                             tel: 0207 566 0118

Notes to Editors

1. RADAR, founded in 1977, is the UK’s largest disability campaigning network with over 1000 individual and organisational members. As of 2009  RADAR, formerly the Royal Association for Disability and Rehabilitation, now stands for the Royal Association for Disability Rights.

2. RADAR is a charity run by disabled people that depends on the financial and voluntary support of others including public donations. To find out more please visit our web site www.radar.org.uk or call 020 7250 3222 / minicom 020 7250 4119 or email radar@radar.org.uk

http://www.radar.org.uk/radarwebsite/