MP Tony Baldry is disappointed by the Government's refusal to change Social Security rules which deny a family the cash needed to provide specialist care for a disabled woman.

Muriel Briggs cares for her 31-year-old daughter Rachel, who suffers from Down's syndrome.

Every month, Mrs Briggs pays for Rachel to spend five nights in specialist respite care to give her a break. But after 28 such days, Rachel's Disability Living Allowance Benefits, which help pay for the respite care and other aspects of her care, are stopped, causing the family financial hardship.

Banbury MP Mr Baldry spoke of the problems faced by his constituents, who live in Deacon Way, in a special debate at the House of Commons. Junior Social Security Minister Hugh Bayley promised to examine the case and agreed that the operation of the so-called linking rule was difficult.

Mr Baldry quoted support to change or scrap the rule from the Oxfordshire Welfare Rights Organisation, the Disability Alliance, and the Carers' National Association.

He said this "was a crazy regulation" brought in in a different age when the disabled tended to go into long-term care in institutions and were considered to be "inmates" rather than patients.

He said that although he was a barrister who understood documents and rules, the small print of Social Security regulations seemed "like a Secret Garden".