In late 2015 the Government announced its intension to transfer the £5.5bn budget for the Attendance Allowance to individual councils. The petition that has since been launched is based on the premise that monies will filter into the general adult social care departments and deny the elderly the opportunity to receive an allowance (£55.10 or £82.10 a week depending on need) to help them remain at home.
The petition has garnered more than 1,600 signatures and is in consideration of the funding which enables the elderly to stay out of care homes where possible. It would appear that there was resistance to the move into local councils with objections being made as to the cost to administer the budget. Objections have also been raised as to the form of the funding (not being ring-fenced), which argue that the funding could simply disappear and be swallowed up into shoring up cash strapped adult social services budgets.
The Government, via the Department of Work and Pensions, has stated that the reason for the proposed change to the Attendance Allowance is to bring together a fragmented and confusing approach. It has confirmed it will hold a consultation on the proposed changes but at the earliest these changes would not co
