Tories challenged over cut in grants for disabled
January 1, 2008 8:56 PM
A cut of £36,000 a year in grants for the disabled proposed by the Conservative Executive of Stratford District Council is being challenged by the Liberal Democrats, through the Council's 'call in' procedures.
At the Council's Executive Committee meeting on 17th December the decision was taken to finance all the administrative costs of running the disabled grants system by a cut in the amount of grants given. The 'fees' charged by the Council will increase from 3.0% of a grant to 12.5%. On a proposed budget for disabled grants in 2008/09 of £376,000 the amount taken from the budget will increase to £47,000 from £11,000 - an effective cut in grants of £36,000 a year.
'There are about 60 grants a year to disabled people. This cut will mean that six households will have to manage as best they can for another year,' said Cllr Hazel Wright, Leader of the Liberal Democrat group on the Council. She added, 'we expected the Conservatives to start cutting services, but we didn't think that disabled people would be the first they would pick on. There seems to have been no consultation with disabled groups over the impact this will have. Is this cut really value for money?'
Councillor Nigel Rock (Lib Dem - Stockton and Napton) said 'The Conservatives do not have a good record - this time last year we were trying to stop cuts in the system for blind persons travel concessions - now we find the Council is effectively paying itself out of the funding for disabled people's adaptations for homes. This is not the way to make "administrative" savings.'
The Liberal Democrats have 'called in' the decision for review by the Council's Overview and Scrutiny Committee A.
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