TRAPPED in his house during evenings and weekends, a Newport man who saw his care allowance halved has spoken of his battle with the Isle of Wight Council.

Dean French, 53 from Westminster Lane, has cerebral palsy and is in a wheelchair.

He has been receptionist at the Riverside Centre for the past thirty years. However, he has seen his personal budget more than halved from 70 hours to 21 because, he said, the council count his time spent there as a ‘social activitiy’ rather than employment.

As a result, his night-time support has been removed, and Dean said this has left him trapped in his house and isolated from friends during evenings and weekends.

“Sometimes, when I am home alone I just sit and cry,” he said.

“I can be in my flat from Friday evening when I get home from work, until Monday morning.

“I have been in a wheelchair since I was three years old. Nothing is going to change so why has my personal budget changed?”

Dean said he feels like he will have no choice but to move into residential care if this continues.

His friend, 63-year-old John Armstrong from Ventnor, said he has noticed a significant change in his friend since his care was cut: “He is increasingly tearful, and gets upset easily. It’s really taking a toll on his mental health.

“It’s self defeating, because the council will have to pay more if he moves into residential care.”

Dean said he no longer has the freedom to go out to dinner with friends, or to the cinema with a carer. Most evenings he has to be home by 9.30pm to be helped into bed.

“If I want to stay out later I then have to stay awake all night as I’ll miss my carers,” he said.

The removal of carers overnight happened with minimal notice, he claimed.

A letter Dean received from the Isle of Wight Council said he did not need the overnight care, and instead was issued with a Wightcare alarm.

Dean said: “If I soil myself, instead of having someone nearby, I may have to wait for hours for someone to come help me.

“They have taken away my dignity.”

An Isle of Wight Council spokesperson said they could not comment on individual cases: “We can confirm that our social workers work hard to ensure that all of the facts and circumstances around an individual are gathered, using independent advocates wherever necessary before they propose any change to someone’s support plains.

“All changes to someone’s care plans and support arrangements are then checked and challenged at a weekly panel meeting. Should someone remain dissatisfied, there is an internal appeal process. Should the person remain dissatisfied, they can take their case to the Local Government Ombudsman.

“Undertaking reviews in a comprehensive and responsible manner is a responsibility that we take very seriously.”