Social Care – Green Paper

Carer Watch response to Green Paper for Social Care

Carer Watch are an online group who campaign for a better deal for unpaid carers. We believe that Social Care is a social responsibility, that is to say it is the responsibility of the whole of society. Family carers may feel a sense of moral responsibility for their sick and disabled loved ones, but this should surely not be exploited. They do their best to care for those members of their families, but this is a responsibility discharged not just on their own behalf, but on behalf of society as a whole. Meeting carers needs, in terms of financial remuneration and lifestyle options should be regarded as an entitlement and not as a form of charity.

Carer Watch believe that the govt has failed to present real solutions for real problems.They have produced a Green Paper with half baked proposals that has so far raised more questions than the govt can answer.

We also believe that the Green Paper should have been looked at alongside the Welfare Reform Bill, as some of the proposals if ever implemented, have implied changes to the Disability Benefits.

Carer Watch has consulted widely – http://carerwatch.com/cuts/ and take this opportunity to thank all individuals,groups,organisations that worked with us.

Based on the representations made to us – this is the CW response to the consultation on the Green Paper.

1) We are dismayed that an opportunity to discuss the whole range of options was lost because the option of funding care from taxation was ruled out before the consultation with the general public even began. This arbitrary decision by the government has angered a great many people, it is entirely indicative of how the government control these supposed consultations.

We agree with ADASS – http://www.communitycare.co.uk/Ar…g-government-on-tax-for-care.html

2) Given the governments recent focus on independence and taking control of one’s own care, Carer Watch find it incredulous that a threat to remove AA is even under discussion. One of the objectives of originally introducing AA was that it helped and empowered the claimant, it gave them the independence and flexibility of directing the spending of their allowance based on their own judgement of their immediate and individual needs.
The outcry about this suggestion –
http://petitions.number10.gov.uk/AttendanceA/ – is absolutely to be expected. AA is an entirely fit for purpose benefit just as it is, LEAVE IT ALONE.

3) Carer Watch have noted and are concerned that once again the government have failed to place the role of family carers central to the planning of care. Unless family carers are acknowledged and placed firmly at the core of the process the system will fail. Family carers are not an optional extra to be added on as an after thought. The government need to amend their attitude towards family carers and make some speed in deciding how to adequately fund family carers. Ten years of nothing was serious, TWENTY YEARS OF NOTHING IS NOT ACCEPTABLE.

4) One special group of carers are continually over looked and we would like to take this opportunity to draw attention to elderly carers many of whom do not enjoy good health themselves. Some younger carers are also disabled. The government should introduce a method of registration of elderly, frail carers and younger disabled carers – probably through GP’s – to ensure that their situation is monitored and that support is regularly offered to them.

The sick, elderly and disabled people in our community and their carers are amongst the most vulnerable in society. And we would expect that the government protect them from the general purge of this anti welfare climate, instead we find the government at the front of the queue to pick the pockets of the most economically vulnerable under the banner of “improving care services”.

SICK PEOPLE AND THEIR CARERS NEED TO BE ASSURED THAT CHANGES TO THE WAY SOCIAL CARE IS FUNDED IN THE FUTURE WILL NOT MEAN THEY HAVE LESS SUPPORT AND FINANCIAL SECURITY.