News

Thousands of residents of independent living schemes and hostels face having their benefit entitlements reduced and their independence eroded under the registration system in the Care Standards Bill, benefits experts have warned.

The proposed registration scheme for the Care Standards Bill, awaiting the report stage in the House of Lords and due to come into force in 2002, will require accommodation to register even if it does not provide board but only nursing or personal care.

However, the Bill's definition of personal care includes providing "advice and encouragement."

This definition is too wide, claim benefits experts, and could force establishments that provide only a low-level of support and encouragement to register with the National Care Standards Commission.

Gary Vaux, head of money advice at Hertfordshire Council, said the extended registration requirements in the Care Standards Bill could reduce the independence of residents in hostels and independent living schemes, unless the Department of Social Security reviews how it awards benefits or makes and amends the Bill. "The Care Standards Bill could reinstitutionlise a lot of people," he said.

Noel Towe, a policy officer at the Local Government Association, said: "If the government requires all forms of accommodation to register, you could get two people with learning disabilities who are placed in a flat as a community placement and they might not obtain benefits."

A spokesperson for the Department of Health admitted that the current criteria for registering accommodation could be confusing but added that the government could use theCare Standards Bill to clarify registration rules.

Current regulations, under the Registered Homes Act 1984, require accommodation providers to register as residential care homes with local authorities only if they provide accommodation and board and nursing or personal care.

Residents in registered residential care homes are not entitled to Housing Benefit, and receive only a weekly expense of £14.10 in Income Support, rather than the standard rate, because they are not classed as living independently in the community.

Their remaining Income Support entitlement is paid to care home owners towards care costs.