The government announced that funding for Supporting People (the programme designed to help vulnerable people live independently in their accommodation) would fall from £1.686 billion in 2008-09 to £1.666 billion in 2009-10 and to £1.636 billion in 2010-11.
Source: House of Commons Hansard, Written Ministerial Statement 6 December 2007, columns 96-97WS, TSO (0870 600 5522)
Links: Hansard | DCLG press release | NHF press release
Date: 2007-Dec
Researchers examined the extent to which disabled people were victims of harassment and anti-social behaviour and the effectiveness of strategies by social landlords to address this; and, the extent to which a person's impairment or associated behaviour was being interpreted as constituting anti-social behaviour. Despite weaknesses in the published studies, there was extensive evidence to show very high rates of susceptibility by disabled people, particularly those with mental health disabilities, to becoming a victim of anti-social behaviour, often as a result of their impairment.
Source: Caroline Hunter, Nick Hodge, Judy Nixon, Sadie Parr and Ben Willis, Disabled People?s Experiences of Antisocial Behaviour and Harassment in Social Housing: A critical review, Disability Rights Commission (08457 622633)
Date: 2007-Aug
A study examined how the government?s Supporting People programme was affecting housing and support for people with learning disabilities. The programme had provided a much-needed injection of cash into services for people with learning disabilities, which had enabled the development of an increasing number of supported living services. But most important decisions continued to be made by service managers and commissioners.
Source: Rachel Fyson, Beth Tarleton and Linda Ward, Support for Living? The impact of the Supporting People programme on housing and support for adults with learning disabilities, Policy Press for Joseph Rowntree Foundation, available from Marston Book Services (01235 465500)
Date: 2007-Aug
A report said that hundreds of disabled people each year were prevented from moving home because of bureaucratic delays – caused by disputes between local authorities and primary care trusts over who should pay for their care.
Source: No Place Like Home: Ordinary residence, discrimination and disabled people, Voluntary Organisations Disability Group (020 7242 0476)
Links: Report | VODG press release
Date: 2007-Jul
A council tenant who had schizophrenia successfully challenged his local council?s decision to evict him after he sub-let his flat when he did not have ?sufficient appreciation? of what he was doing.
Source: London Borough of Lewisham v Malcolm, Court of Appeal 25 July 2007
Links: Text of judgement | DRC press release | Community Care report | Inside Housing report
Date: 2007-Jul
The government published a new comprehensive strategy for delivering housing-related support services to vulnerable people. It emphasized the vital role of the third sector, and sought its help in shaping how the programme would be delivered. It suggested exploring new approaches that would give people greater say about the services they received, through the individual budget pilots and new ?charters for independent living? setting out the services people could expect to access locally. It also proposed an integrated assessment process under which people could be assessed for health, social care, and housing support at the same time.
Source: Independence and Opportunity: Our strategy for supporting people, Department for Communities and Local Government (0870 1226 236)
Links: Report | Summary | Hansard | DCLG press release | Community Care report
Date: 2007-Jun
Researchers examined how landlords were responding to their Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) duties. Local authorities and housing associations had a good awareness of DDA legislation in general, although awareness of the duties for landlords was lower. There was very low awareness amongst the private-sector landlords of disability legislation, and little awareness of the new DDA duties for landlords.
Source: Jane Aston, Darcy Hill and Ceri Williams, Landlords? Responses to the Disability Discrimination Act, Research Report 429, Department for Work and Pensions (0113 399 4040)
Links: Report | Summary | DWP press release
Date: 2007-May
An official review said that Independent Living Funds should remain in their existing form until 2009-10, but that in the longer term there should be a smooth transition towards full integration within a system of personalized budgets. (Independent Living Funds are designed to enable severely disabled people to live independently in their own homes.)
Source: Melanie Henwood and Bob Hudson, Review of the Independent Living Funds, Department for Work and Pensions (020 7962 8176)
Links: Report | Summary | Hansard | DWP press release | DRC press release | Community Care report
Date: 2007-Mar