Liberal Democrat Council Helps to Give Vulnerable People More Independence

11.56.47am BST (GMT +0100) Fri 1st Oct 2004

Liberal Democrats are fulfilling their pledge to promote a 'direct payments' scheme that gives vulnerable people more power to control their lives.

67 people in Milton Keynes are already using Direct Payments. Most have physical disabilities, but there are also people with learning disabilities and some older people. In a recent survey, 36 out of 41 people currently receiving Direct Payments said they were well supported.

Councillor Irene Henderson, Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care, said: "The Liberal Democrat philosophy is to encourage as much independence as possible for disabled and older people. People who are using direct payments seem very happy with them - it really helps them feel in control. We want to encourage more people to take advantage of them."

The Council's Cabinet wants to make Direct Payments more easily available to everyone who needs care to remain in their own homes. So a specialist team is being set up to encourage more people to join the scheme.

Direct Payments let disabled and older people buy the services they need to live at home, rather than having them arranged by the Council. The Council assesses how much support people need, and they are then given the money to arrange the support for themselves. That means people are free to choose their own service providers. Council staff can offer advice on the best types of care packages on the market - and they can also provide support if things go wrong.