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Easy Read Guide to new SDS regulations
The Scottish Government has made a new law about self-directed support. This guide tells you about the new law and what it means.
The Government has also made some new rules that help people understand what will happen when people want to employ someone in their family or how some people might have to make a contribution to their support.
LDAS has published a new guide to help people understand what this is all about. You can download it here.
What can you do about the Bedroom Tax
There are a number of things that you can do about the Bedroom Tax.
The Learning Disability Alliance Scotland has published a new guide to the Bedroom Tax. You can download the guide here.
After you have been told your housing benefit will be reduced you can appeal the decision. You can get more information on exactly how to do this from the Govan Law Centre. You will need to send the completed appeal form to your own local Housing Benefit office. You will need to be quick as there is a time limit on this.
You can also apply for Discretionary Housing Payments. You will probably only get this if you fall into a priority category but you should ask for an application form and give as much detail as possible.
You should join a local campaign against the Bedroom Tax. In Scotland you can get more detail here
Council staff hide problems with Day Centre closures
There has been a failure by Glasgow City Council to take Due Regard of its Equality Duties in relation to the decision to close 3 Day Centres for Adults with Learning Disabilities in Glasgow. Previous work by city council staff identified at least 14 reasons why day centres would be a problem for people with learning disabilities. But this information was not provided to councillors before they made the closure decision, it seems there has been a deliberate attempt to bury these negative impacts that senior council staff were aware of.
Download our leaflet showing the reasons that Glasgow Council staff have identified as problems in the closure of day centres. Read on for more details of the underlying problems.
Read more: Council staff hide problems with Day Centre closures
Concessionary Travel and Blue Badge Passporting
Everyone who received PIP at any level will qualify for Concessionary Travel Card
The Scottish Government has announced its plans to managing the transition of the Blue Badge scheme through welfare reform. Both these critical benefits were linked to DLA which is starting to be replaced by Personal Independence.
The Scottish Government Welfare Reform team has committed to monitoring the implementation of PIP over the next four years. The passporting arrangements linked to PIP will be severely affected by the numbers who are able to successfully claim PIP and the full consequences will not be known for a number of years
National Concessionary Travel
189,000 people hold the concessionary travel card because of disability. The average annual value is about £250 per person.
The Passport arrangements in the future will be that all those who qualify for the Standard or Enhanced rate of PIP will qualify . So in the future all PIP claimants will get the NCTS Card.