Written evidence from REMAP (DEG0056)

Introduction to REMAP

REMAP is a charitable organisation that started over 50 years ago to meet the needs of disabled people, irrespective of their race, age, gender, sexual orientation, nationality or ethnic origin in particular by using technology. We do this free of charge and are funded solely by voluntary contributions. We provide this service throughout the UK.

Specifically we design, make and modify equipment that addresses the needs of disabled people. We also provide advice and assistance to disabled people that is calculated to relieve their needs. In addition to normal domestic needs we assist with hobbies, sports and work related problems.We work closely with members of Social Services and other medical professionals.

About 40% of our clients are of working age but of these only about 8% are in work, the remainder are typically very frail and require significant levels of daily care. We help those who can no longer be helped by Social Services and where no  commercial solutions to their problems are available. Our volunteers and the devices they make and provide are fully insured.

Our members are either retired or semi retired and have differing levels of skills including problem solving, metal and wood working, design and manufacturing, 3D printing and soft fabric work.

We are particularly aware of our duty of care not only to our clients but also to our practicing members. The COVID 19 problem has reduced our capacity to assist by over 50%. 

We currently provide assistance to about 4,000 individual disabled people each year.

Specific comments regarding the DWP request for input:

Having said that 40% of our clients are in the working age group but that very few (8%) refer to their need for assistance so that they can retain or apply for work, it does appear that the kind of assistance that we provide is equally applicable to both the domestic and work situations. For instance, providing a backrest on a stool allowed a client who had major back surgery after an accident to gain employment as a locksmith. The role that DWP could play is to ensure that all the state organisations and agencies involved with jobseekers and disabled people can be pointed in the direction of those commercial and voluntary organisations that exist to provide the needed support. Naturally this also applies to employers. We are very sensitive to this issue because we are funded entirely by voluntary contributions and have no funds to pay for advertising. While we are quite well known to the Social Services community and to some local authorities we believe that there are many deserving disabled jobseekers who would benefit from the service we provide.

December 2020