confusion about cut to disabled students allowance detail triggers parliamentary question

Hereditary peer (LibDem) and vice president of the British Dyslexia Association Dominic Addington has has raised questions in the House of Lords about forthcoming DSA cuts. Addington writes: "my question in the Lords was inspired by the amount of confusion there is within all the groups involved in the DSA, ranging from suppliers to students, over what exactly is going to be in place once these reforms go through." Draft guidance has been issued about the proposed changes but it lacks details about how students will be asked for the £200 for a computer through the DSA, how exceptional cases will be considered, or how non medical helper support will be funded for existing DSA students who will still be staying after the reform date of academic year 16/17. There is lack of details also about the proposed 'bulk buying' and 'streamlining'; these elements appear to have been open to lobbying over the summer but closed in terms of information to stakeholder groups. Lord Addingtion was told "disabled groups and their representatives have recognised and welcomed the changes" which means that at some stage since the modernisation announcement in April 2014 some people, somewhere and somehow have agreed a laptop tax, a reduction in IT peripherals, abolition of the book allowance and cuts to funds for accommodation to be enacted through a more combative and complaints based process.