Please sign these petition's - http://petitions.number10.gov.uk/At
"We the undersigned petition the Prime Minister to recognise the vital support that Attendance Allowance (AA) and Disability Living Allowance (DLA) provide to disabled people, and to ensure that these benefits are secured and are not removed as part of any future reform of the social care system in England." submitted by Peter Hand of Mencap on the 10 Downing Street website.
Proposals to have Disability Benefits integrated into “Local Authority Care Budgets” will restrict the freedom of Disabled People and their carers, cause increased bureaucracy and administration. Disabled People would lose choice and be again subjected to statutory interference in their lives.
We wish to make it know that the expertise that we bring is under paid, under utilised, disregarded and has not been recognised by successive governments. We will accept no further disregard and disrespect from the Government of the United Kingdom." from Political Cripple - Help become one of a million signatories.
A new threat to DLA & AA it is important we send a clear message on this. Please pass this information on to your friends and colleagues we need as many signatures as possible.
You can find further information on the Benefits and Work website, or if you are a Facebook user the Group "Disability Living Allowance and Attendance Allowance Threat" contains further information and by joining you can follow there activities.
You can also contact National AIDs Trust (NAT) or complete the survey on the Disability Benefits Consortium website, part of the Disability Alliance.
Of course you can comment anonymously on this website if you wish.
Thank you.
PDF version
Please protect the DLA benefits in the way they are given now. Any changes would hugely damage the health and well-being of those living with HIV/AIDS. James Fisher
Disabled People: Benefits — Question
House of Lords debates, 13 October 2009, 2:51 pm
Lord Ashley of Stoke (Labour)
To ask Her Majesty's Government which elements of disability benefit they are considering integrating into the wider social care budget in England.
Lord McKenzie of Luton (Parliamentary Under-Secretary (also in the Department for Communities and Local Government), Department for Communities and Local Government; Labour)
My Lords, the Green Paper, Shaping the Future of Care Together, proposed that one way to deal with the challenge of an ageing society may be to bring some disability benefits and the new care and support system together into a single system as a better way of providing support. At this stage, we do not want to rule out any options and so are considering all disability benefits.
Lord Ashley of Stoke (Labour)
I thank my noble friend for that reply. Is he aware that any attempt by the Government to withdraw these benefits, or any benefits at all, will be very strongly resisted by disabled people, by their organisations and by many Members of both Houses of Parliament?
Lord McKenzie of Luton (Parliamentary Under-Secretary (also in the Department for Communities and Local Government), Department for Communities and Local Government; Labour)
My Lords, I reiterate that no decision has been made on this matter—it is a consultation—and I acknowledge the benefit that many disabled people see in the current benefit structure, particularly DLA and attendance allowance. However, there is a case for bringing some disability benefits and the adult social care system together to provide better support through a new national care service. We should remember that the social care system and disability benefit system have in many ways developed in isolation from each other—they are separately assessed and have separate applications—and there may be benefits for individuals in bringing them together. However, we have made clear in the Green Paper that should we make a change in this direction, individuals receiving the relevant benefits at the time of the reform will continue to receive an equivalent level of support and protection.
Perhaps I may illustrate the nature of the challenge that we face. There are currently 1.26 million adults who get their care and support needs addressed. Over the next 20 years, 1.7 million more adults will need to be supported. Currently, 20 per cent of cases cost less than £1,000 a year and 20 per cent cost more than £50,000 a year.
Baroness Wilkins (Labour)
My Lords, does my noble friend consider it acceptable that if attendance allowance were absorbed into the social care fund in future, many thousands of disabled people who get the benefit now, such as visually impaired people who fall outside the fair-access-to-care criteria, would no longer get any help with the extra costs of disability?
Lord McKenzie of Luton (Parliamentary Under-Secretary (also in the Department for Communities and Local Government), Department for Communities and Local Government; Labour)
My Lords, these are exactly the points that need to be fed into the consultation so that they can be taken fully into account. Currently, there is a considerable degree of overlap between the social care support system and attendance allowance, in particular, and many claimants of attendance allowance effectively have a significant loss of their benefit in the assessment for social care.
Baroness Thomas of Winchester (Liberal Democrat)
My Lords, I declare an interest in that I receive a disability benefit. Is the Minister aware of the very real fear that has been engendered among disabled people at the possibility of attendance allowance, and possibly the care element of disability living allowance, being swept into the kitty to plug the gap in the funding of adult social care? Many disabled people think that that is about to happen and say that they just do not trust local authority funding, which of course is where it would end up. Will the Government make an unequivocal statement to the effect that this is very much open for consultation and is not going to happen tomorrow, as a lot of people think it is?
Lord McKenzie of Luton (Parliamentary Under-Secretary (also in the Department for Communities and Local Government), Department for Communities and Local Government; Labour)
Indeed. I can absolutely reassure the noble Baroness and the whole House on that issue. This is a Green Paper. It is a consultation and we need fully to take account of people's views. There is no prospect of people simply having their disability benefits removed overnight. That is no way in contemplation.
Lord Freud (Shadow Minister, Work & Pensions; Conservative)
My Lords, on this proposition of subsuming various allowances, including attendance allowance, is this moving away from the principles of right to control which are being included in the Welfare Reform Bill?
Lord McKenzie of Luton (Parliamentary Under-Secretary (also in the Department for Communities and Local Government), Department for Communities and Local Government; Labour)
It is very much to the contrary. It is a clear thrust of the Green Paper that when we establish the national care service, some of its key components will be prevention services and information and advice, and personalised choice and control will be at the centre of those proposals. In a sense, this is being reinforced by the Welfare Reform Bill at the moment.
Lord Low of Dalston (Crossbench)
My Lords, notwithstanding what the Minister has said about all disability benefits being up for consideration, and given the reported statement by the Minister for Care Services (Phil Hope MP) that disability living allowance is not under threat, can the Minister confirm that neither component of the disability living allowance, whether paid to present or future recipients over as well as under 65, is being considered as a possible source of funding for social care?
Lord McKenzie of Luton (Parliamentary Under-Secretary (also in the Department for Communities and Local Government), Department for Communities and Local Government; Labour)
My Lords, as I said in answer to the first Question, currently no particular benefit is ruled out of consideration. We are conscious of the fact that DLA is overwhelmingly used by people who are under 65, and obviously care needs are overwhelmingly for people who are older.
Comment - Lord Freud was the government appointed advisor who wrote the Welfare Reform Green Paper than left the government to join the Conservatives. Many believe that the "right to control" recommendations in the Welfare Green Paper were very much diluted by the government when the bill was passaged through the Commons. His intervention is interesting in this respect.
"Dear Sir or Madam,
Please forgive this direct approach by Email and/or FAX, however with the current dispute at Royal Mail and uncertainty of post being received in a timely manner at present; I have been forced to make this ‘open letter’ to all concerned and dispatched via the goodwill of others.
Following the release of the Green Paper on the future of ‘Care & Welfare Reform’ and the ‘Big Care Debate’ a number of weeks ago, with the threat to Disability Living Allowance, Attendance Allowance and Carers Allowance, there has been a great deal of concern and action by people with disabilities, their families, friends and carers.
This has resulted in a great deal of recipients of disability benefits to feel fear, despair and need to take action to have their voices and concerns heard in a variety of ways.
Online petitions have been set-up, one in particular is loosely known as ‘The Peoples Petition’, which was placed on the No10 Petition Website by SCOPE and closes on Friday 13th November 2009.
Direct action and awareness raising have been held in Truro, Bristol and London which have been met with interest, in one case the Local Authority did all they could to deny action by making wholly unreasonable and inappropriate demands.
A further Peoples Petition Signing Event is being held on College Green, opposite the Houses Of Parliament on Wednesday 4th November 2009 and we have also been granted permission to Lobby all the MPs in Parliament that we can invite on the same day.
The above actions have led to official press releases from MPs and Organisations claiming that disability cash benefits are either not under threat or that they are now no-longer under threat and for Lord McKenzie to claim that these benefits will be cut regardless of assurances recently given.
It was also released in the Sunday Press that an influential ‘think tank’ has advised that all state benefits be means tested and that this advice is being viewed by all three leading Political Parties as a working policy.
Due to the conflicting information, assurances and official statements being made on all sides, the actions ATOS Healthcare in reviewing current benefit claims on behalf of the Department Of Works And Pensions, which have led to only 5% of existing claims being granted again, with all failed reviews being switched to Employment Support Allowance in inappropriate and discriminatory fashion, disabled people and the carers are in despair for what the future holds for them.
As time is short, I call upon everyone to send this open letter to their friends, families, MPs organisation and anyone else you can think of, by Email and/or FAX to ensure that the rights and needs of disabled people can be heard.
I would also invite every MP to come and meet me in the Lobby on Wednesday 4th November 2009 to add their support for their constituents who will be affected by the cuts in these benefits.
It would be a bonus if any MP would consider tabling an ‘Early Day Motion’ to raise awareness and encourage the House to sign these petitions and add their support to the cause of ‘The Peoples Petition’.
I would like to express my gratitude to all who send on this open letter to their MPs and anyone else they know as any cuts in disability cash benefits will likely impact a relation or someone you know.
If anyone has any questions or queries regarding this open letter and its contents, please feel free to contact me vie email: adam.lotun@disability-adjustments.co.uk or via telephone: direct dial 0208 337 2906 / mobile 07969 002 103.
Thanking you in advance for your kind attention and support in this matter.
Yours sincerely,
Adam Lotun."
Whereas the potential removal of DLA for those under 65 years of age has seemingly been overcome. In Westminster parlance the story is merely being "closed down". This means that DLA is safe but one has to bear in mind we are in the run up to an election.
Those who claim DLA cannot remain complacent. Understand that we have seen the "direction of travel" for this benefit. Post election I am sure this benefit will become the subject of more discussion as the "National Care Service" progress's should the current government retain power.
The government has given many contradictory messages over the "safety" of this benefit and has been very slow to be categorical. My feeling is this at the very least demonstrates a "policy" intent for the future.
Of course for those over 65 years not only is AA still an issue but also DLA for those over this age group who may well see the loss of this benefit and funds moved to support the "National Care Service".
Don't believe this issue has died, it has merely been put to sleep for the time being.
Former government minister airs concerns on green paper
Former energy minister Malcolm Wicks criticises adult social care green paper Posted: 30 October 2009
writes Jeremy Dunning
A former government minister has called for renewed debate on the future funding of adult social care through taxation - the national insurance option.
Malcolm Wicks, who was energy minister until October last year, criticised the green paper when he spoke during the social care green paper debate in the House of Commons yesterday.
Wicks, who is the MP for Corydon North, said: "I would look seriously at the pros and, no doubt, cons of a social insurance option—or what we now call a national insurance option."
Tax option should still be debated
The paper - Shaping the future of care together - laid out five options for funding but rejected two immediately. This included the taxation option, which Wicks said was strange.
He added: "It is almost as if two hands wrote that section of the green paper, and I am bound to say that I see the cold, grey hand of the Treasury all over it. That option should not necessarily be the way ahead, but it requires serious study."
Wicks was also critical of the lack of analysis made of carers in the green paper debate and commented on the possibility of a more "joined-up" approach towards the number of assessments people have to undergo to receive benefits.
Disability benefits
During the debate MPs again raised the issue of attendance allowance and disability benefits. During the National Children and Adult Services conference at Harrogate health secretary Andy Burnham confirmed that disability living allowance for the under-65s was not going to be axed.
However, he refused to rule out axing attendance allowance and disability living allowance for the over-65s during the debate.
Tory shadow health minister Stephen O'Brien also criticised the green paper's few mentions of carers' needs and outlined plans for local directors of public health to have the power to allocate ring-fenced budgets to promote independent living for elderly people.
He also reiterated the Tory pledge to oppose scrapping attendance allowance.
Today I joined Political Cripple at Parliament to support there efforts to get 1 Million signatures for there petition to ensure that Attendance Allowance and the care component of Disability Living Allowance are protected given the threat contained within the "Shaping the Future of Care together" consultation and Green Paper, where it is believed these funds will be directed away from disabled and the elderly and paid direct to local councils to pay for services provided directly by them.
Mark, Adam, Laura & Rosie, Gillian - it was a total pleasure to meet you today and I fully support your efforts here.
Please sign the petitions mentioned in the entry above.