At the Communities Committee on June 5th, Labour councillors voted to suspend discretionary
Disabled Facility Grants “top up” grants, and cap other payments, including those for supporting
Hospital Discharge and Dementia Dwelling Grants
This represents a 45% reduction in the maximum budget for each Disabled Facilities Grant, from
£55,000 to £30,000, and a 33% reduction in the total annual spend on helping patients being
discharged from hospital.
This suspension is a massive reduction in the available support for some of the most vulnerable,
with the most complex needs in our city. They are absolutely vital for allowing people to continue
to live independent lives in their own homes. Foundation’s 2018 review of Disabled Facilities
Grants included a review of Dementia Dwelling Grants provided by Worcester City Council, which
are now being capped, saying “It can make a substantial difference to the lives of people coming
to terms with their diagnosis and help them maintain their independence for longer.”. The same
review show installation of wet floor showers resulted in “All participants felt more independent
and their dignity and wellbeing had improved. They were also more physically active as they were
carrying out their own personal care.”, alongside a 12 month care cost saying of over £20,000. It
makes both economic sense and is the right thing to do.
One of the things I get asked most frequently on the doorstep is “what can you do to help the
hospital?”; the truth is city councillors can do little directly, but by reducing the available budget
for hospital discharge grants, we will see residents stuck in hospital for longer, which will have a
knock on effect for everyone else using the services.
For these reasons, my fellow Greens and I did not support this suspension. With the General
Election on July 4th, ask yourself who is on the side of the most vulnerable in our city: the Labour
Party, who cut funding for those who need it most, or the Green Party, who will always stand up
for the vulnerable.
(Letter to the editor of Worcester News by Councillor Alex Mace, 10/06/2024)