NORTHSIDE politicians have vented anger over changes in the eligibility criteria for disability housing supports.
The three schemes involved are:
?¢ Housing Adaptation Grants for Older People with a Disability,
?¢ Housing Aid for Older People, and
?¢ Mobility Aids Grant
The changes include:
?¢ Older Persons Grant: age increase for grant applicants from 60 to 66.
?¢ Changes to income limit: grants payable to households with an income up to
?¬60,000 (it was previously
?¬65,000).
?¢ Minimum contribution: households with an income of less than
?¬30,000 will be asked for a 5 per cent contribution. Ninety-five per cent of works will be met through the grant.
?¢ Grants for people with a disability: No change to maximum grant level of
?¬30,000, minimum contribution similar to the above for older persons grant.
Local TD Tommy Broughan was among those critical of the changes.
“I am deeply disappointed and concerned that Minister of State for Housing, Jan O’Sullivan, has allowed these changes to take effect,
? Deputy Broughan told Northside People.
“The Disability Adaptation Scheme has been a very useful support for elderly and disabled citizens by providing financial assistance to applicants to carry out adaptation works on their homes.
“Therefore, it allows them to remain at home, for example in circumstances where they have reduced mobility.
?
The Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government pointed out that the budget allocation last year was e35 million, and that in 2014, it will be e38 million, an increase of 8.5 per cent.
Deputy Broughan said:
“The Minister has defended the changes and suggested that more people will be able to stay in their homes because the overall budget for 2014 has increased.
“However, the Minister has neglected to mention the very severe cuts to the disability housing budget over the past number of years.
“In Dublin city, the cuts to funding have had serious consequences for elderly and disabled citizens because effectively only those with the gravest medical need are being provided with funding to adapt their homes.
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Deputy Broughan is calling on Minister O’Sullivan to review the changes to the disability housing schemes.
“From an economic point of view alone it makes more sense for elderly and disabled citizens to be facilitated to remain in their own homes rather than having to move to long-term residential care,
? he added.
Donaghmede ward councillor Tom Brabazon (FF) said problems regarding the grants have been going on for some years now and called for lateral thinking.
“I believe that adequate funding should be made available for these grants,
? he stated.
“In addition to this, when equipment is installed and is used, it often gets disposed of when the user passes on.
“In a lot of cases the equipment such as stair lifts could be reused, refurbished and redeployed. A lot of houses are standard sizes and there should be no difficulty in finding new users for this equipment.
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Cllr Brabazon added:
“Naturally it might not be ideal in every case of an adaptation grant but we need to look at the problem not just from a money point of view and apply a little lateral thinking to this grant system.
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