To whom it may concern
At the London Borough of Richmond on Thames
When in 2007 I opted for direct payment, at the councils
suggestion, I was informed that this was to be spent to buy the care and
assistance I needed when and how required. This worked out very well and
satisfactory up until 2012.
The council decided, in 2012, to take a component of my
disability living allowance as part of their care plan. This had the effect of
reducing my available cash for care/PA by 5 hours a week. I have been trying to
get my hours increased by this amount for many weeks. This also to account for
my deteariating physical condition with encroaching age, extra help, all agree,
I now need.
I have had the same career/PA now for over 3 years; we have
worked together very well on flexi time according to what I want and need to do
throughout the day. Always on telephone call, if required, he is very helpful
and caring and now puts in many more hours than he is paid for.
Today, as it is sunny, after he has showered me he is driving
out to the park or riverside for a walk with the wheelchair. On Wednesday
afternoon taking me to a talk on ‘Historical Teddington’ and on Friday to a
meeting at Ruils – ‘Your Say’.
Twice a month he takes me to an evening committee meeting of
an organisation I was a founder member many years ago. As I have said many
times our care and life style is not regimented by set times, and is very
flexible, I do not need extra careers but the hours reinstated for my long
standing excising career, taken from my DLA.
Now the council, instead of allowing the 5 hours to be
reinstated, started to send in agency care at set times throughout the day to
do work my career/PA is all ready doing, at times we might be out. Today,
Wednesday and Thursday we will be. This is not acceptable as it upsets our
programme.
It is ridiculous that I ask for 5 hours to be reinstated at £9.00p per
hour, £45 a week as my ‘DLA‘ used to be, and instead they send in agency care
for over 7 hours a week, costing goodness know what at agency prices.
Kenneth Elmes,
18/02/2013
72, TW11 9QS
(020) 8977 2382
Foot note addition – As it was so nice, our outing ended
up at Portsmouth, after a good lunch, having a good wheelchair walk along the
sea front at Southsea
