In a third of Welsh council areas, disabled and older people who currently pay the maximum charge will save an average of £7,000 a year, while those in other areas will save an average of £2,000 to £5,000 a year.

Current weekly limits on charges vary from £16.20 in Rhondda Cynon Taf to £200 in Neath Port Talbot, while some councils have no upper limits, which the Welsh government said was “clearly unfair and unacceptable”.

The new measure will be implemented from 11 April. It follows the introduction of legislation in 2009 that was aimed at ending the postcode lottery and increasing fairness and consistency in charging.

The move will heighten the contrast with the situation faced by disabled people in England, where some councils are set to increase maximum charges to as much as £250 or even £433 a week.

The Coalition on Charging Cymru (CoCC) welcomed the announcement as it celebrated its tenth anniversary.

It has been campaigning since 2001 for the complete abolition of charges, and said the new measure would mean many disabled people would be better off by thousands of pounds a year.

It said charges were “a secondary and discriminatory tax on people who require support” with tasks such as washing, dressing, and feeding.

Partly due to its campaigning, 3,000 people have been taken out of charging in Wales since 2007, with another 8,000 facing lower charges.

Rhian Davies, chief executive of Disability Wales and CoCC’s chair, said: “The ultimate prize of zero charging is yet to be achieved. However, all involved with CoCC both past and present can be proud that through persistent lobbying it has helped mitigate some of the worst effects of charging in Wales.

“Through this and previous WAG measures many disabled people, older people and carers who are often the hardest hit in any government cutbacks will now be better off than their counterparts in the rest of the UK.”

Gwenda Thomas, deputy minister for social services, said the “landmark measures” on charging would “make a real difference to the people who rely on these vital services the most”.

She said: “We are committed to doing all that we can to eradicate inequality wherever it exists – and abolishing the postcode lottery that currently exists within the social care sector is an important step forward in achieving that important aim.”

News provided by John Pring at www.disabilitynewsservice.com

The call for action came in a Manifesto for Independent Living, launched at the Welsh Assembly this week by Disability Wales (DW), the national association of disabled people’s organisations.

The manifesto calls for better information, advice and advocacy, a centre for independent living in every local authority, and a national online “information and advice hub” for disabled people.

It also says the Welsh Assembly Government should commission research to discover the national shortfall in accessible housing, while there should be an accessible housing register in every local authority.

Other priorities include improving access to aids and equipment; ensuring the provision of genuine choice and control in the delivery of personalised care and support; and improving access to transport, particularly to buses, trains and taxis.

DW wants the Welsh Assembly Government to introduce a national independent living strategy, similar to those introduced in England and Scotland, that would see a “joined-up approach” across national and local government, with more effective use of funding and support tailored to people’s needs.

The assembly’s petitions committee is considering a DW petition that calls for a national strategy and has been signed by more than 700 people.

Rhian Davies, DW’s chief executive, said there was support for the principles laid out in its manifesto from assembly members who attended the launch.

She said provision of services was “fragmented” and “very varied”, with disabled people in Wales treated as “second-class citizens” and constantly having to fight for their right to independent living.

Davies said a national strategy would address the “inefficiency and lack of co-ordination of existing services”.

She also said there was a need to change “street-level” attitudes towards disabled people and the “institutional culture where it is just seen as acceptable to say ‘these are the services we provide, take it or leave it’”.

DW is now hoping political parties in Wales will incorporate elements of its independent living manifesto into their own manifestos for this May’s assembly elections.

News provided by John Pring at www.disabilitynewsservice.com