Disability related expenditure and pets care costs

10 July 2018

Disability related expenditure and pets care costs

10 July 2018

 

A survey has found that many disabled people are unable to afford to keep a pet dog or cat due to the impact of council charges made for their social care support.

A survey of 46 English social services authorities found that eight out of ten would not make allowances for pet care expenses ‘in any circumstances’ when calculating the charges disabled people were required to pay for their social care services.

Background

For many disabled people their pet is of incalculable importance to their sense of well-being. Many experience severe isolation and for many their pet is their main companion. The report outlines the evidence suggesting that pets can have profoundly beneficial impacts on key measures of well-being: physical, mental and emotional – as well as providing for many a sense of security.

This research appears to be the first concerning the impact of local authority social care charging on pet owning disabled people living in the community.

Findings include:

  • Despite the evidence concerning the generally positive impact of pet ownership on well-being and the many social policy references to pet ownership as a potentially innovative mechanism for addressing eligible social care outcomes for disabled people, no local authority had a written policy concerning the treatment of such expenditure (para 7.07).
  • Only five authorities (11% of the sample) indicated that such costs could be taken into account ‘in any circumstances’ – although on analysis it appears that nine (19%) would in fact be prepared to consider such costs ‘on a case by case’ basis (para 7.07).
  • Local authority charges that ignore pet care costs will subject disabled people to severe hardship. After paying their council’s social care charge, disabled adults under pension age are likely to be left with no more than £75.25 per week (and in some cases as little as £48.17) from which they are expected to pay for (among other things) their food, gas, water, electricity, telephone bills, travel costs, clothing, house repairs, equipment purchase, insurance expenses and recreational activities (para 4.04).

The research recommendations include that the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care require that where reasonable pet care costs be taken into account for charging purposes (by amending the list of items in the Statutory Guidance at Annex C para 40).

The Research was undertaken by students at the School of Law, Leeds University as part of the School’s Cerebra Legal Entitlements and Problem-Solving (LEaP) Project and pro bono programmes under the supervision of Professor Luke Clements and Sorcha McCormack.

[ddownload id=”13910″ style=”button” button=”blue” text=”Download the full report (PDF)”]

3 thoughts on “Disability related expenditure and pets care costs”

  1. I was genuinely shocked to find out when my disability got too bad to walk my small fear reactive dog in my electric chair that paying for a dog walker was not considered a disability related expense. I was told and I quote ‘having a dog is a luxury’ so was NOT taken into consideration..

  2. Cristina Cidrão

    Hi,
    I’ve just adopted a French Bulldog. I’m disabled on a wheelchair, have a very low income and on benefits. I am needing to get pet insurance, can you help?

    1. Hi Cristina, thanks for your comment and apologies for the delay. If you contact your Local Authority and ask to speak to the Adult Social Services department, they should be able to help. Your local Citizens Advice may also know of a source of funding that could be approached. I hope that’s helpful. Many thanks

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Make a Donation

Please help support our vital work that enriches the lives of thousands of children and their families every day.

Sleep Service

Sleep Advice Service

LEap

Legal Rights Service

Parent Guides

Parent Guides

Cerebra Innovation Centre

Cerebra Innovation Centre

Library

Toy and Book Library