Adults' social services charging policy - Find a freedom of information request

Q1) Does your adults' social services charging policy (or the practice required of your social services assessors and care planners during earlier stages of the Care Act process) mention a person's receipt of PIP/DLA Mobility Component as a reason for your adult social services department not funding transport to services within their Personal Budget (services that are being commissioned in the person's care plan to meet the person's eligible unmet needs)?

Q2.1) If so, is it possible for the person to provide evidence that their Mobility Component income is not otherwise available for such transport, in order to bring about a different outcome regarding the scope of their Personal Budget?

Q2.2) Does your adults' social services charging policy (or the practice required of your adults' social services assessors and/or care planners during earlier stages of the Care Act process) state that a person's request for a disregard from income of privately incurred Disability Related Expenditure on the person's transport needs will only be allowed to the extent that and for the sum by which their transport expenditure exceeds the PIP/DLA Mobility Component?

Q3) If in doubt about whether the wording in your charging policy or practice guidance to staff has the effect of the stances above, please just provide us with the wording related to Mobility Component, and any link to the document that might be found online.

Response: I can confirm that the information requested is held by Lincolnshire County Council. I have detailed below the information that is being released to you.

1. Lincolnshire County Council do detail this in the LCC Charging Policy - Annual Statement of Charges Annex D – Section 3.13 – Transport

2. Yes – this is covered in LCC Charging Policy - Annual Statement of Charges Annex D – Section 3.13 – Transport

a. Yes – this is covered in LCC Charging Policy - Annual Statement of Charges Annex D – Section 3.13 – Transport

3. Wording is below

3.13 Transport If DLA/PIP mobility is in payment, costs of transport can only be considered if they exceed the amount of the mobility component. Where DLA/PIP mobility is not paid and costs are greater than average, costs may be allowed. An example is where the cost of a taxi journey is £5.00 but the taxi company charge £8.00 for the provision of taxis with wheelchair access.

The extra £3.00 will be considered where there is evidence in the Care Plan of the need for specialist transport and confirmation from the transport provider that extra costs have been levied and for what purpose.

Receipts/evidence may be requested and without evidence it may not be possible to include additional expenditure.