+ Thurrock council
Disability Benefits
There was substantial debate about the proposal to retract or integrate existing disability related benefits into the state contribution of the proposed funding options.
Participants who are also recipients of disability benefits currently enjoy a level of independence and choice due to their freedom to spend their benefits on services/items that address lower level needs, such as transport via taxi and social activities. The group concluded that they feel very strongly, that retracting disability benefits will be a step back, in terms of personalisation and independence. It is felt that recipients will become more reliant on the local authority to approve the services they receive or can purchase via a direct payment. The State should not be detailing how people spend this money.