Homeless single people should get more help – Supreme Court
This story tells us. Councils have always assessed potentially vulnerable people by comparing them with a so-called “ordinary homeless person”. This has led to situations in which single homeless people suffering from problems including depression and suicidal thoughts were deemed not vulnerable because an “ordinary homeless person” would be expected to suffer from those problems too. However, a landmark ruling from the Supreme Court has judged Local Authorities have been failing to recognise homeless people in vulnerable situations in so doing. The court said councils assessing the needs of single homeless people should compare them with an “ordinary person” rather than another homeless person. This change, in the “vulnerability” assessment, will lower the bar for those suffering from various problems and clear the way for them being given priority status by their local council. Evidence provided to the court by the charity Crisis showed that the average age of death for a homeless person is just 47. They are nine times more likely to take their own lives and 13 times more likely to be a victim of violence. And of course in rural England vulnerable people face far fewer care options than in other spatial settings.