Posted by James Lahey

Capability Scotland has welcomed changes to the local housing allowance that will provide accommodation for carers of disabled people.

Following months of campaign after the publication of its No Room for Manoeuvre report on carers, the charity has been quick to highlight the importance of the change, which will see the allowance pay for an extra room for individuals caring for a disabled person.

Published in February, the report found that many disabled people and their families were being forced to pay for the cost of a carer’s room themselves.

Capability senior policy advisor Susie Fitton said there is a “chronic shortage” of accessible housing in the social rented sector in Scotland.

Welcoming the reform, which will come into force in April 2011, Ms Fitton added: “How many disabled people this will actually help in practice when local housing allowance rates are being capped remains to be seen, but at the moment we are cautiously optimistic.”

The local housing allowance recently replaced housing benefit for tenants in the private sector.

This month, Capability launched a survey aimed at identifying the changing needs of families with disabled teenagers as part of its About Families project.