But a DETR spokesman has admitted that the entire Supporting People programme will now start in April 2003, as providers and councils requested, instead of being phased in between 2003 and 2004.
The spokesman told Housing Today: "The responses to the [phasing] consultation paper clearly showed overwhelming support for immediate implementation in 2003. Respondents felt there would be confusion for local authorities and related organisations and phasing would pose unnecessary administrative complications. The minister has agreed that it would be better to follow a single course of action."
He added that the £153m announced in July’s Comprehensive Spending Review for the phased implementation of Supporting People would now be payable to councils in one lump sum in April 2003.
National Housing Federation director of policy Liz Potter said: "It is good that the government has listened to what the federation and other respondents favoured, which is simultaneous implementation."
Federation head of housing management and support Kathleen Boyle added: "Any local authority who thought they were off the hook for another year now knows they are definitely on board for 2003."
Local Government Association housing policy officer Gwyneth Taylor said: "We are in favour of a flexible approach to the implementation of Supporting People but phasing was going to cause considerable problems for providers and do little to encourage cross authority working."
She added: "The lack of phasing means we are set a somewhat challenging timetable but we think this is the only solution."
Maurice Condie, chair of the National Housing Federation’s north east supported housing practitioners group, said: "When all the Supporting People funding goes through at once it will make the programme more straightforward and there won’t be differences between local authorities."
Condie, who is also Byker Bridge housing association chief executive, explained: "The [Supporting People] system in each of the six authorities we work in will be running at the same time. We will not be operating two different systems, which has got to make it easier."
Source
Housing Today
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