Sam Al-Sapti 18 year old from Frederiksberg sitting in a wheelchair, uses respirator and want to help you around the clock. At the same time, he is in a pinch financially.

– We can not afford to life. We have bad enough advice for the maintenance, he says through respiratorens mechanical sound of the breath.

Sam and his mother live in an apartment to 17,000 kroner in the month. And they can’t move.

the Municipality rejected in 2017 to give them to another home because they already live in an apartment, which is handicap friendly.

– I can not buy food in the canteen, like the others at the school or go to the movies with my friends, telling Sam.

recently, he had to stay home from the gala dinner at the high school, because he could not afford to take with.

Sam would like to have a part-time job, but virtually all his spare time goes in taking care of the disease. Common routines such as bath, toileting and bedtime are time-consuming projects, and he must have help to virtually everything. Photo: Tariq Mikkel Khan
Regular SU
Sam general SU of 2600 kroner. He can, according to the rules not get handikaptillæg, before he starts on a higher education.

It is therefore his mother, Intisar, who is a big part of the rent.

– We can not cope with us, and it worries me very much, she says.

She is single and gets paid between 12,000 and 14,000 dollars each month.

– I had to sell my jewellery to get money.

Intisar working as a mentor in the municipality. She has previously worked 48 hours per week, but the extra money she earned, was simply deducted from housing allowance.

– the Economy reaches in fact more than my disability, telling Sam depressed.

– We are thinking of money all the time. If I get an infection, it is first, we think: ‘Oh no, now we need to spend extra money on medicine.’

the Article continues below the pictures …
Sam and Intisar Al-Sapti saving and selling off their belongings to get it all to run around. Photo: Tariq Mikkel Khan
Sam has studied the possibilities to work by the side of the school, but most unskilled jobs require physical work. Photo: Tariq Mikkel Khan

Sam and his mother moved into the expensive apartment in 2005. The municipality referred them there, because Sam came permanently in a wheelchair.

the Municipality paid at the time of the difference between the old, cheap apartment and the expensive, wheelchair-accessible. But when Sam turned 18 years old, passed the grant check, says Intisar.

A typical issue according to the Danish Disability Alliance.

– We often see that people with disabilities have problems, when they are in transitions between life stages. For example, from child to adult or in and out of relationships or work life, says landsformanden Susanne Olsen.

– Their conditions of life change, and then hits the check in some rules and gets caught.

Sam and Intisar has even tried to find another accommodation, but the facilities for disabled apartments only takes people into, which is directed by the municipality, they tell.

– Had I not had muscular dystrophy, we could just go out and find an apartment. But we can’t, says Sam Al-Sapti.

He has therefore applied for a disability pension, which provides a higher monthly amount. Also this, the municipality has rejected.

– They said almost directly, that he must drop out of high school, if he must have a disability pension, says Intisar, who was to the meeting.

Sam gets good grades and dreams of educating themselves to the software developer.

– in addition to the high rent I’m really grateful to live in a country where I can get help. Therefore, I would like to pay back by getting a job and contributing. It just needs, to I here the first years get something a little extra support, he says.

Sam has got a Mac computer of the Make-A-Wish, which provides gifts to children with life-threatening, chronic diseases. The gift means a lot to Sam, who want to educate themselves in the field of it. Photo: Tariq Mikkel Khan

– overall, it is not a story about the SU-rules, housing shortage or other. It is a story about a fundamental failure, believes Susanne Olsen from the Danish Disability Alliance.

– It is a vulnerable family, which stands alone and not have a clue as to what they should or can do. They are caught because of the rigid rules, and it puts them in an even more hopeless and vulnerable situation than they were already.

the Extra Leaf has asked the city of Frederiksberg, why they will not appoint Sam, and Intisar to a cheaper dwelling.

– It is true that the city of Frederiksberg back in 2017, when Sam was 16 years old, denied sam’s application for a smaller dwelling, write socialchef in Frederiksberg Municipality, Flemming Nielsen.

– the Refusal was then given, as Sam as a young man living at home, with financial support through various laws had a home that met the needs of the family.

– Now the situation is different, because Sam is 18 and therefore of legal age. So is it no longer possible to obtain support as a child, and with it also terminated a number of support options for families with children.

the Municipality therefore encourages the family to seek a new home again.

– I understand that this may seem a little cumbersome and bureaucratic, but I can guarantee that we from the municipality is looking for solutions that meets sam’s needs within the framework and opportunities.

the Politicians ‘ fault

Karina Adsbøl from the Danish people’s Party has written to the Ekstra Bladet, Frederiksberg Municipality should search Sam and his mother to a cheaper dwelling, and that it is their responsibility to ensure a good transition from child to adult.

Danish Disability Alliance believes, however, equally, that the responsibility lies with the politicians.

– You can point the finger at the municipalities, but it is all rooted in the political economic priorities and the poor cocktail-effect, as their different reforms, structural and regulatory changes have had, says Susanne Olsen from the Danish Disability Alliance.

More need help for less money

People with disabilities should have help from the municipalities ‘call’ highly specialised offer’. A pool, which is also intended to help addicts, mentally ill and other vulnerable.

– the Municipalities are obliged to help everyone, and it is an impossible task, says Susanne Olsen, chairman of the Danish Disability Alliance.

From 2014 to 2017, the number of citizens who receive ‘highly specialised help’ has risen from 59.610 persons to 67.288. An increase of 12.9 percent. At the same time, money has been fewer.

– They are being penalised financially if they exceed their budget. So the only thing they can do is smear the butter thinner, and so it is no wonder that they are with the rules and the calculator promote.

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Social affairs minister Astrid Krag (S) is set to improve the area.

– It is unfortunate when people like Sam and his family gets caught, she writes for Ekstra Bladet.

too often We see that the transitions between stages of life creates problems, and the government will do something about it.

– We are going to look at legislation, legal security and financing on the welfare state. For it can be felt, that the bourgeois has underfunded welfare in recent years. It’s going to take time to correct, but we took a first important step with this year’s økonomiaftale with the municipalities, where we lifted up the wellbeing of 2.2 billion. kr.