Consultation Will Give Disabled People More Control

A national consultation that could dramatically change the way every disabled person lives their life is being launched today by Secretary of State for Work and Pensions Yvette Cooper.

Right to Control is a shake up of the way disabled people can use the funding they receive from the state. The policy forms part of the Government's radical welfare reforms and will for the first time enshrine in legislation the principle that disabled people are the experts in their own lives and have the right to choice and control over their support.

Under the new scheme, disabled people will be able to choose who delivers their services and how they receive them. They can have as much or as little control as they wish and they could choose to spend the money on a wide range of support to help them to live their lives with greater independence and freedom.

For example, public bodies may currently only be able to offer a limited choice of services, such as access to a daycentre and a specific employment programme. In the future, a disabled person could decide to employ someone directly to help them with work, home and leisure activities. They could decide to keep things the way they are, or have a mixture of both.

Disabled people and their organisations are being asked to help shape this initiative - by taking part in the consultation they can influence how the Right to Control works.

Yvette Cooper said: "Disabled people know more about their own lives than anyone else, and the Right to Control will give them the power to decide what support they need and who should provide it.

"We've involved disabled people in developing this policy and we hope to get as much feedback as possible from individuals and from disabled people's organisations - and we encourage them to hold their own consultation events."

The Right to Control is a major part of the Government's goal to achieve equality for disabled people by 2025.

(JM/NS)