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Health secretary backs bill to end postcode lottery
Epilepsy Society has welcomed health secretary Andrew Lansley’s pledge to ensure disabled people who move house continue to receive care while they await re-assessment by their new local authority.
The new measure is to be included in the Government's Care and Support White Paper on Wednesday.
Graham Faulkner, Chief Executive of Epilepsy Society said: ‘At the moment, every time a disabled person moves from one local authority to another, they have to negotiate a new care and support package. And they have no guarantee that the same level of support will be available in the new location. This can cause unnecessary worry and stress.
Better care and support package
‘I welcome any move which allows funds to follow an individual so that they can choose where and how they want to live which ultimately must result in a better quality of life.’
Under plans to increase the so-called "portability" of assessments, councils will be legally required from 2014 to match previous care packages when someone moves to their area, officials said.
At present vulnerable people - and their carers - can be left without support for weeks or months while a fresh assessment is made.
New assessment
The new arrangements will make it easier for those to be done before the move happens and service users will also have the right to a written explanation if the new assessment is different.
‘No one should fear moving house or areas because they are worried that they will lose out on vital care and support," Andrew Lansley said.
‘By bringing in measures to ensure continuity of care when people move, they will no longer feel trapped.’
