I did not make this up.

David Morton

Lifetime Supporter
Councils pay for prostitutes for the disabled

Taxpayers' money is being spent on prostitutes, lap dancing clubs and exotic holidays under schemes designed to give more independence to the disabled.



By Laura Donnelly, Michael Howie and Ben Leach
Published: 9:30PM BST 14 Aug 2010
52 Comments


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Photo: ALAMY


One local authority is using its budget to pay for the services of a prostitute in Amsterdam, while others have said visits to lap dancing clubs are permissible under new policies which transfer funds directly to those who receive care from social services.

Holidays abroad, subscriptions for internet dating and driving lessons have all been funded by the taxpayer under a national initiative introduced by the last Government.

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The £520 million scheme promised to give elderly people and those with disabilities more control over the care they received, by passing on cash so individuals could choose the services they needed, such as home help, or mobility aids.
An investigation by The Sunday Telegraph can disclose that exotic holidays, internet dating subscriptions and adventure breaks, as well as visits to sex workers and lap dancing clubs have been permitted under the system.
One local authority has agreed a care plan including payment for a 21-year-old with learning disabilities to have sex with a prostitute in Amsterdam next month.
His social worker, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said social services were there to identify and meet the needs of their clients – which, in the case of an angry and frustrated young man, meant paying for sex.
Another care worker said staff at her council had been told that trips to lap dancing clubs could be funded, if it could be argued that it would help the "mental and physical well being" of their client.
In response to Freedom of Information (FOI) requests, four local authorities describe themselves as "condoning" the payment of sex workers by disabled clients, using money transferred from their budgets.
Other councils said they took no moral judgement about the use of funds, but said care money could be spent on anything, as long as it was not illegal.
Paying for sex is not against the law but soliciting sexual services, kerb crawling and paying for sex with women who have been coerced into prostitution is.
In Greater Manchester and Norfolk, councils say payments to social care clients can be used to pay for internet dating subscriptions.
In the course of 12 months, one man with mental health problems from Norwich received a holiday in Tunisia, a subscription to an internet dating site, driving lessons, and expensive art materials.
Department of Health documents describe how the man received the funding on top of his state benefits, after suffering from psychiatric problems when his wife asked for a divorce.
In the report on his case, the man says he needed "some time out, some rest and a change of scenery" after suffering marital problems and says the break in Tunisia with a friend was cheaper than a week in institutional care.
Trafford council, in Greater Manchester, says its budgets cannot be spent on anything illegal, or anything that would bring the council into disrepute. It suggests personal budgets could be used for holidays, adventure breaks, subscriptions to dating agencies, horse riding or to buy a pet.
The FOI survey, by The Outsiders and TLC Trusts – two groups which campaign for the sexual rights of people with disabilities – found most local authorities said they did not "condone" transfer of their funds to pay for sex.
But of 121 councils who responded, 97 per cent said they had no policy on the topic, allowing discretion for social workers and junior managers about how to manage such requests.
Several councils contacted by this newspaper said they did not know if they had ever funded visits by disabled people to sex workers.
Stockton-on-Tees borough council said it did not think it had funded sex workers for clients. A spokesman said people "in receipt of our care can do whatever they wish, though we would not condone or be involved in anything illegal".
A spokeswoman for Knowsley council said requests for funding to access sexual services would be "looked at on a case by case nature".
Doncaster council said that so far it had not funded any requests for sexual services, but said future decisions would depends on the needs of the individual.
Norfolk county council said it did not believe it had funded any visits to sex workers, but Di Croot, assistant team manager for learning disabilities in North Norfolk said such requests would be looked on "favourably" with staff encouraged to be "as free thinking as possible" about how to ensure all the needs of clients were met.
Zoe Grace Cozens, who wrote the council's policy on learning disability and sexuality, said the authority also had a duty of care to ensure that those with learning disabilities were not being exploited financially, if they paid for prostitutes from their own money.
"That could mean care workers phoning to check what rate sex workers were charging," she added.
Belinda Schwer, a legal consultant who advises councils, said many local authorities agreed support plans for clients which did not specify how funds would be used, once they passed out of their hands.
"From what I have seen, at least one quarter of local authorities are doing support plans which only state what outcome should be achieved – not which services are being employed."
In the case of someone given funds to go to a sex worker, such documents might set out an intended emotional outcome, rather than the means by which it was achieved, she suggested. "If you have got a happy and calm person who was previously frustrated and angry, that might achieve a good outcome, but the case law says councils should be setting out which services are being used," she said.
Neil Coyle, director of policy at Disability Alliance, said most people with disabilities did not want or expect the state to pay for sexual services.
He said: "When people go to councils for help, they are looking for essential services to maintain some level of dignified existence – help to dress and wash. Given that councils have been drawing the most basic support from those who need it, I do not think this is the biggest concern of people with disabilities."
Liz Sayce, chief executive of disability network Radar, said the desire for sexual relations was a matter of human rights, meaning cases involving payments should be carefully examined on a "case by case" basis.
Matthew Elliot, chief executive of The Taxpayers’ Alliance said it was “deeply worrying” that public money had been spent on the services of prostitutes, lapdancing clubs and to pay for holidays.
He said: “Many taxpayers will be appalled and offended that money intended for social care has been used in this way. What's more, it’s deeply worrying that this scheme has been so vulnerable to these abuses. It’s essential that where public funds are involved, there are the sort of checks and balances in place that prevent money being wasted in this way”.
 
What's the problem?
Politicians have been doing it for years, surely it's time the public had a go... ;)

BTW the, er, girl(?) in the doorway... is there a steroid problem over there or what?

Tim.
 
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David, it simply beggars belief....

Now I must have seen everything (until the next STUPID idea comes along)...
 
What's the problem?
Politicians have been doing it for years, surely it's time the public had a go... ;)

BTW the, er, girl(?) in the doorway... is there a steroid problem over there or what?

Tim.

I agree. The bird in the photo looks RAF. I wouldnt touch her with yours!
 
David,

I wish you had made it up, another case of political correctness gone mad. Hopefully those councils involved will be shamed into abandoning the idea.
 
I can think of so many things that would help my "mental and physical well being" - I just hadnt realised I needed a disability to get a council to fund them!
 

David Morton

Lifetime Supporter
I'm about to apply for my disabled car permit. This morning I went to my local supermarket to get some croissants and baguettes and I witnessed a car being driven by a young asian parked in the disabled bay with a disabled permit in the window , loading up with bulk items that only running a restaurant could justify. I thought a challenge was justified but was rebuked by him and told
"Is none of your business, in'it". I asked the store security (another Asian) and was told almost the same.
Just outside the store there was a collection going on for flood relief in Pakistan. It was noticeable there was little or no contributions being made. I felt like saying "Is none of our business, in'it".
Maybe High Wycombe is the wrong sort of town to collect in. Remember one of the recent bombers that was sentenced to life, came from High Wycombe and used the woods around Desborough road to conceal things he made. We now have surveillance cameras almost everywhere. There is another area in High Wycombe called Desborough Road which is also know as Karachi Road and Little Bombay.(sorry - Mumbai). I wonder if any collections are going on down there. I doubt it.
Just think - how many inconveniences do you now have to suffer as a result of terrorist threats to our society - answers on another postcard please - and were any of those threats made by anybody other than Asians - no answers I hear you say.
As an example, arriving at Heathrow to collect a friend, I was stuck in a queue of cars being searched by police at gun point. I made a jibe that I bet they were all on overtime which didn't sit that well with this extremely overweight extremely perspiring asian tart dressed up like action man on steroids.

Racist rant over. In'it.

If this post raises any issues or you feel affected in anyway and wish to complain, please make your feelings known and write your complaint on a large postcard and,
and
shove it up your .................?

Answers on a postcard please
 
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David Morton

Lifetime Supporter
The Flood relief in Pakistan has prompted a re release of an old single to raise even more money. It's released tomorrow (Monday)morning and called......
wait for it .....
"Rain drops are falling on Ahmed".
 
David, I don't live in the UK, but we have similar offensive uses of our money in Oz. I am absolutely fed up with the endless ways I am helping everybody else who chooses to sit on their bum and not deal with their own problems, while I get disproportionally small benefits from my tax dollars generated through my hard work.
 
My knees give me problems sometimes....I think I should sign up for this program -really sounds like it's doing some good.

Oh, one other thing, I'd also like a trip to Amsterdam please....
 

Pete McCluskey.

Lifetime Supporter
David, I don't live in the UK, but we have similar offensive uses of our money in Oz. I am absolutely fed up with the endless ways I am helping everybody else who chooses to sit on their bum and not deal with their own problems, while I get disproportionally small benefits from my tax dollars generated through my hard work.

Then make sure you don't vote for Joolia, Not that I think you would.;)
 
"Rain drops are falling on Ahmed".<!-- google_ad_section_end -->

Another song that applies is "Never let a Chance Go By".

(Dawns on me that that is an Ozzy song, and not widely known).

Many years ago, whilst resident, a northern European country donated a fleet of buses to the country mentioned.

Unfortunately, the powers that be decided that a gift horse Should be looked in the mouth, and duty on the buses was demanded.

The ship was turned around, set sail, and the bus fleet pushed off into the ocean.

A diferent mindset!
 
Which way to vote? Federal election this coming weekend in Oz. Whichever party you vote for, and it may simply be the least offensive, takes your vote as a solid endorsement of all their policies. Which it isn't. If only we could vote on policies, or the order of priorities in the spending of our hard-earned.

I heard of a program to bring some sex life to the disabled, called Feels on Wheels.
 

Keith

Moderator
The Flood relief in Pakistan has prompted a re release of an old single to raise even more money. It's released tomorrow (Monday)morning and called......
wait for it .....
"Rain drops are falling on Ahmed".

Well I posted that weeks ago in the Jokes bit David - get with it bro', but since you're in this mode, I'll reprint wot I posted on anuvver fred innit.

To wit:

A good friend of mine has invented a new type of linear landmine disguised as a prayer mat.. It's been so successful that prophets are going through the roof! :)<!-- google_ad_section_end -->

PS nice pic of some skilful tannin' innit.
 
Which way to vote? Federal election this coming weekend in Oz. Whichever party you vote for, and it may simply be the least offensive, takes your vote as a solid endorsement of all their policies. Which it isn't. If only we could vote on policies, or the order of priorities in the spending of our hard-earned.

I heard of a program to bring some sex life to the disabled, called Feels on Wheels.


Current incarnations of both major parties should be ashamed of themselves IMO. They are both now beyond my vote.
When my last kid leaves school I'm off to NZ. :)

Tim.
 
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Keith

Moderator
Then make sure you don't vote for Joolia, Not that I think you would.;)

Well your caring, sensitive PM Joolia has just said "the HM The Queen's death would be an appropriate time to start an Australian Republic"

Whatever the merits of the pros or cons of the issue (don't really have much opinion about it - it should be up to Australians) IMO it wasn't a very, er, 'appropriate' thing to say...:furious:
 
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