Posts Tagged ‘care’
Better care for the elderly
Protecting Britain’s Pensioners
Labour want to cut Disability Living Allowance and Attendance Allowance for over 65s, wrecking their chances of living independently.
2.4 million elderly people need support to cope with a physical or mental disability.
These people rely on disability benefits – a third of them through the Disability Living Allowance for over 65s, and two thirds of them through the Attendance Allowance.
Labour want to cut these benefits, wrecking their chances of living independently and having the freedom to tailor their care to their needs.
Those over 65 who claim Disability Living Allowance currently get an average of £75 every week, and those who receive Attendance Allowance get an average of £60. This compares to an average pensioner’s income of around £250 a week.
This means that some of the most vulnerable pensioners in our country could lose around a quarter of their income – amounting to a loss of around £8 billion a year.
These cuts are unwise, unfair, and unkind. Our pensioners deserve better.
WHAT YOU CAN DO:
- Sign our petition against the care cuts
- Email/Write to your MP to ask them to oppose these cuts
- Add your name to this petition to the Prime Minister
CAMPAIGN UPDATE:
The Government’s social care policy was plunged into disarray during the Conservative Opposition Day debate on Tuesday 8th December in the House of Commons on ‘disability benefits for the elderly’.
The Health Secretary has now tried to assert that there will now be “no cash losers” amongst current recipients of disability benefits in a future care and support system. This is at odds with the proposed changes to Attendance Allowance and Disability Living Allowance for the over 65s contained in the Government’s own Green Paper.
All of the preferred funding models in the Government’s Green Paper are underpinned by integrating Attendance Allowance and Disability Living Allowance for people over 65 into a future care and support system, with no guarantees that benefit recipients would receive the same level of ‘cash’ support.
The change of policy, announced unexpectedly on the floor of the House, has effectively holed the Government’s own Green Paper below the waterline as none of its funding models currently reflect this new policy.
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Jim Ferguson and Mary Scanlon MSP help Blythswood Care “food for the needy” project
JIM FERGUSON AND MARY SCANLON
Conservatives working together in the Highlands of Scotland
Jim and Mary handing food parcels over to the Highland Food Bank at Blythswood Care
Jim Ferguson said:
“Blythswood should be highly commended on this worthwhile local community project.
I pay tribute to Lorna Dempster and her team for the hard work and dedication they give to making a real difference to people in desperate need. They have our full support. This is the kind of local community action that reaches out to the people who most need it and I’m proud to see such effort and dedication.”
Mary Scanlon said:
Blythswood Care have been doing sterling work to support people in poverty in many countries throughout the world for many years. I congratulate Blythswood on the excellent local project, “The Highland Foodbank” which has been up and running for almost three years.
The foodbank is supported by donors, churches, volunteers and partner agencies and fulfils a vital role by providing emergency three-day supplies of food to individuals and families who are in financial crisis.
Already in Inverness, Home Start helps people with furniture and household items to make a fresh start. Last year, 1700 people were helped by the Foodbank project which was an increase of 70% from the previous year.
Blythswood have identified a local need and are working very effectively to address this need.â€
Working to make a better future.
Join us and make a difference!
Telephone 01463 233986
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