Mark Todd, MP for South Derbyshire

South Derbyshire has been allocated an extra £20,000 for grants for disabled people for this financial year.

Mark met with Baroness Andrews, the Minister for Communities, last year after the district council revealed a projected shortfall of £726,000 in this year's budget for the Disabled Facilities Grants (DFG) scheme. The mandatory grants aim to provide adaptations so disabled people can live independently in their own homes. 

The Government allocated the council £183,000 for 2007/08 which is meant to cover 60 per cent of the costs but the council was projected to spend £1.13m

There has been a 103 per cent increase in the number of applications under the Disabled Facilities Grants (DFG) scheme at the district council in the past three years up to April 2007 while Government funding has only increased by 38 per cent. Accompanied by council representatives, Mark met Baroness Andrews, Parliamentary Under-Secretary at the Department for Communities and Local Government, on November 20.
He argued that the Government's current funding formula for the scheme - which is based on the number of people claiming disability living allowance -  was too simplistic and should be linked more closely to need. 

It has now been revealed that South Derbshire will get an extra £20,000 towards its 2007/08 budget.

Mark said: "Regrettably in spite of the encouraging meeting with the minister and some very positive noises from the Government Office of the East Midlands the district was given only an extra £20,000 this year. There are prospects of a change in the system which is used to allocate the grant next year and my efforts and those of the council may bear fruit then."