Published at 11:09, Thursday, 26 July 2012

PLANS to modify the way the council collects waste from those who require assistance have been welcomed by Copeland Disability Forum (CDF).

Currently, the service involves a member of the waste crew collecting the bin from its normal storage point, for example in the garden, and returning it there when emptied.

It affects 1,500 properties (4.5 per cent of the borough) where householders are unable to place their bin at the edge of their property due to disability or restricted mobility, irrespective of age.

It is proposed that the Assisted Collection Service continues for these residents, and criteria will be introduced to determine what levels of assistance households will be entitled to. The level a customer requires will be agreed between the council and the customer after an assessment.

Anne Bradshaw, chair of CDF, said: “We have been assured that everyone who requires assistance will get it.

“Each disabled person is different and has individual needs, so assessing each person individually means that everyone will get the level of service they require.”

The council has revealed that those with assisted collections take 40 seconds on average, compared to the usual 20 seconds.

Residents will be allocated a level on which the assistance they receive will be based. The levels have been established between the council and CDF.

Level 1: will receive smaller and easier-to-manage bins/bags, that will be collected from and returned to the edge of their property

Level 2: will receive smaller and easier-to-manage bins/bags, that will be collected from a suitable point no further than five metres within property, and returned to the edge of their property

Level 3: will receive standard bins, that will be collected from a suitable point no further than five metres within property, and returned to the edge of their property

Level 4: will receive standard bins, that will be collected from a suitable point no further than five metres within property, and returned to a suitable point no further than five metres within property.

Copeland will accept applications from anyone (over 16), who is the householder and in receipt of Disability Living Allowance care component at the middle or high rate (or from April 2013, Personal Independence Payment), Higher Rate Mobility, or Attendance Allowance.

The council says that assistance may also be granted in other exceptional circumstances which, Mrs Bradshaw says, is crucial.

“We have been assured that everyone who currently receives an assisted collection will be given an individual assessment and the level of assistance they are offered will be mutually agreed between the customer and the council.

“As the council is proposing four levels of service instead of a ‘one size fits all’, we are happy that this will be agreed and therefore the customer will be happy with whichever level they get.

“We believe the criteria for being in receipt of the benefits will fit the vast majority of people requiring assisted collection, and we are pleased the council has linked it with the new proposed PIP.

“The council has also included ‘exceptional circumstances’ which would cover people with short-term disability due to, for example, a hip or knee operation or broken limbs. We are pleased to see this has been included and are happy that it will cover people with short-term disability needs.

“We would include within the criteria an additional sentence: ‘Where someone receives Carer’s Allowance for looking after the disabled person, then they would not fall into the criteria for an assisted collection’.

“The thinking behind this is that a carer who gets care allowance has to help and support the disabled person for at least 35 hours a week. We felt it only takes a few minutes for the carer to take the bin to the required place and bring it in again, and would, in our view, be part of their role as carer.”

Published by http://www.whitehavennews.co.uk