December 2008

CHARGES FOR RESIDENTIAL CARE TO RISE BY 28% ON JANUARY 1ST – INCLUSION IRELAND

 

Inclusion Ireland has strongly criticised the Government for going ahead with plans to charge people with an intellectual disability up to 75% of their disability allowance for residential care.

The Government’s rational for raising the charge, which is also applied to older people in nursing homes, is that it will reflect the increase in the pension since 2005. 70% of people with an intellectual disability who are in residential care are under 55* and receiving a disability allowance, not a pension.

The Government also contends that these rates are maximum charges and should be based on an assessment of need. Inclusion Ireland CEO Deirdre Carroll says people’s needs are not always individually assessed and the maximum charge is routinely applied.

“The needs of people with an intellectual disability and older people are very different. At an Inclusion Ireland seminar on the issue of charges last year, one parent said while elderly people may go into nursing care for three or four years, people with an intellectual disability could spend fifty years in a residential service.”

People who are receiving in-patient services in places where nursing care is provided 24 hours a day will now pay €153.25 a week, an increase of €33.25 (28%), and people who are in places where nursing care is not provided on a 24 hour basis will now pay €114.95 a week, an increase of €24.95 (22%). This allowance will come out of people’s Disability Allowance, which was increased by €6.50 a week to €204.30 in Budget 2009.

“Leaving people with an intellectual disability with just €51.05 a week to spend after the charges are deducted from their disability allowance does not promote inclusion into society. This charge is also being increased at a time when we still have no standards or independent inspection of residential services for people with an intellectual disability.

“It is now Christmas week, ten days before the new rate of charges is to be brought in and we are still getting calls from people with an intellectual disability and their families, who were unaware that this increase was coming in. There will be many people who will be taken unawares by this in January.”

ENDS

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