7. Plaid Cymru Debate: Welsh Independent Living Grant

Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 5:23 pm on 13 February 2019.

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Photo of Mike Hedges Mike Hedges Labour 5:23, 13 February 2019

I think this is because some people have—local authorities had their needs reassessed and downgraded, and this is an opportunity for them to get reassessed and upgraded. It is something that disabled people themselves want to see. It's not perfect, and I'm sure we wish we weren't here. I wish that, last April, the Labour Party conference decision had been implemented in this place, but it wasn't, and that's nothing to do with the Cabinet Minister—or the current leader.

I welcome the Minister’s acceptance that the underpinning principle in undertaking independent assessment is that the result should be consistent with people’s agreed well-being outcomes. As there is no financial barrier, no-one needs have less favourable care and support than they currently have, and 'currently' means whatever they had before the changes were introduced by local authorities.

I welcome the preservation of the triangular structure of the grant between the local authority, the individual and a third party stakeholder. I believe the Government of Wales have met the spirit of both the petition and the Labour Party conference resolution. I just regret that it's taken so long. Finally, I thank Nathan Davies for his continual and consistent campaigning—I think I'd describe him as 'indefatigable'—and Julie Morgan for coming through now and providing this continuing support that I believe and I think the vast majority of people in my party believe is something that should have been done a long time ago.