Rhiannon Bury, writing in Inside Housing, has flagged up a clause in the draft Care and Support Bill that may lead to less money being available to fund disabled adaptations.
Clause 22 of the draft bill, to be introduced to parliament later this year, would prevent social services departments in England and Wales doing anything to meet needs for care and support of an adult needing care which another authority, such as the housing department, is required to do.
In evidence to the Joint Select Committee examining the Bill, the Acting Director of Social Care Policy at the Department of Health Sally Warren said it was necessary to be clear about the respective roles of the NHS, housing and social services to prevent people falling between the different agencies.
But Inside Housing suggests that a consequence o
f the provision would be that the full cost of making adaptations to people’s homes would fall on housing department, as social services would be unable to top up disabled facilities grant funding.