DIRECT Payments: The end of lobbying ?

ATR was recently attending an 'Carer' advice centre to be informed deaf people and others with communication loss needing support may be able to successfully apply in Wales for Direct Payment allowances so they can 'Buy in' what support they require as, and when they need it.  While I am not euphoric at present with the declaration, given the DWP  has said dream on ! as they are cutting support allowances to all with hearing loss, a perusal of eligibility to Direct Payments clearly suggests deaf and HI people ARE eligible to claim this financial support.

How could it operate ? well if an 1,000s to 1 precedent is set.  Deaf people WON'T be able to pay any relatives/friends or people known to them,  and any support they 'buy in' has to be police vetted,  and professionally competent  I 'd be asking for at least level 4 BSL re signing, and above, nothing less, to raise standards if nothing else..

Costs of DP to deaf would run into 3 figures every week. Speech to text support is reputed to be minimum of £500 a time.  Where could we buy it in ? this is an area of contention, many health areas are sub contractors, so NOT bound as is the NHS, to provide by law, as it is NHS is ignoring the law anyway, with assistance from deaf families.  These areas are opticians, dentists, care areas, GP's, OOH services etc.  Social access is included via DP, as averse to state opposition for deaf to be enabled socially, despite almost a total collapse of support for deaf clubs, which were closing at a rate of 100 a year at one point.  However as blind people can get DP to do this, then why cannot deaf people ?

Any deaf that can qualify for an communication payment re DP has to show they can run the DP  systems as per an employer.  However I don't see why an agency cannot assist deaf to get over that.  By far the most exciting aspect of deaf able to qualify is... no more lobbying for access, we are empowered to buy it in ourselves, it will give me a break after 31 years !    All this is because of an access law that cannot be enforced and then is used to prevent us buying it in ourselves when that law fails, or indeed  is deliberately ignored, either the system puts up or we should force them to.