When a person moves from one area to another, perhaps to take up a new job or to be closer to family, they have to apply for social care support all over again.

Packages of support are not 'portable'. They have to ask the new local authority for an assessment, then wait for a decision to be made on what services the new authority will fund. If the eligibility criteria are different in the new area they may find what they are entitled to is very different.

For someone with high support needs this can effectively mean that they are unable to move house, because they could not survive without support while waiting for the new authority to begin to provide. If they live with family, this can mean the whole family is unable to move.

The Governments in both England and Wales have said they want to change this. The draft Bill in England says that if a person moves house the new authority must carry out an assessment when it is clear that the person plans to move.

If they have not done this before the person moves then the new authority must continue to provide support based on the assessment by the previous authority until they have done their own assessment.

There should be no gap in provision of support.