Learning Disability - ARC
Who are ARC?
ARC are a national membership organisation which supports providers of services to people with a learning disability. We have around 350 organisations in membership, ranging from individuals who support just one or two people with a learning disability in their own home, to large national organisations such as Mencap or United Response. We try to tackle issues, which our members have raised as something of concern through projects, work with government departments and training.
Why are accounts important for this group?
Like the rest of the population, people with a learning disability need a bank account. For many this is because they receive some sort of state benefit. An increasing emphasis is being made on encouraging people with a learning disability to move into employment. Most employers want to pay salaries into bank accounts.
What barriers could this group face?
When the move to direct payment of benefits into a bank account was made, people who did not have an account in their own name often found it difficult to open one. There are a number of reasons why this should be, usually because either they did not have an acceptable means of proving identity or questions of capacity.
Many people with a learning disability and those who are paid to support them have had limited understanding of banking systems and the various accounts on offer. This has often hindered their discussions with branch staff.
What work has been done?
In 2005, funded by Friends Provident Foundation, ARC undertook an action research project with people with a learning disability called 'Banking Matters to Me' which involved visiting high street banks and building societies to see what their response would be to a request from a person with a learning disability to open an account.
Following this work, we lobbied various institutions through the BBA, FSA and Employers Forum on Disability to seek a more positive outcome for people with a learning disability, and to discuss some of the issues raised by the research.
In 2006 we were given further funding to work together with United Response to develop a series of booklets and a web portal to help people with a learning disability to understand more about banking and bank accounts.
In the same year, the Now Lets Talk Money campaign supported work to develop a training pack for people with a learning disability and their supporters to help them gain more understanding about money, banking and budgeting.
In
We also wrote a brief guide for Money Advice workers to help them understand some of the issues people with a learning disability have to face when seeking advice.
ARC and United Response are currently working with the FSA on further information for people with a learning disability about issues relating to money. This will include a facility to download the pictures used in the Making Money Easier booklets for people who want to develop their own picture guides or information resources about banking and money.
We still believe there is an issue to be tackled in relation to people who do not have capacity and the best way to manage their money.
Additional resources
Banking Matters to Me can be downloaded from the ARC website (including reports from
Making Money Easier web portal has links to information and pictures about 'banking', your money, your home' and 'moving on planning ahead'
Talking Money a resource of information about money and advice services in
My Money Matters is a best practice guide to looking after the money of people with a learning disability
Managing My Money is a training pack for support staff to help them understand more about money, banking and budgeting
Talking about Money is an interactive accessible training package for individuals with a learning disability and their supporters.
