When one of us is threatened – we are all at risk

This was sent in via email. We dont know where it originated so if anyone finds out please let us know so we can give them full credit.

 

First They came ……

 

A mouse looked through the crack in the wall to see the farmer and his wife open a package.*

What food might this contain?’ the mouse wondered – - – he was devastated to discover it was a mousetrap.

Retreating to the farmyard, the mouse proclaimed the warning: There is a mousetrap in the house! There is a mousetrap in the house!’

The chicken clucked and scratched, raised her head and said, ‘Mr. Mouse, I can tell this is a grave concern to you, but it is of no consequence to me. I cannot be bothered by it.’

The mouse turned to the pig and told him, ‘

Show the government that you care about Social Care

Are you disabled, in ill health, a carer or know someone who is?

CarerWatch members are extremely concerned about the impact of the Welfare Reform Act on Social Care. Not just on those people affected now,  but those that will be in the future.  It is vital we take every opportunity to raise our voices about these issues to government.

See below for details received of a new campaign – Britain Cares

Received from Scope -

I wanted to let you in on a new campaign, Britain Cares – see website here

We all know how much support is being savagely taken away at the moment, but we think coming up there is a major opportunity to help get something positive to happen.

We believe that there is the potential for a big political moment to get the Government to address the growing crisis in social care for disabled people, with the Care and Support Bill coming into Parliament in May (one of only two major Bills) and the Government’s Spending Review brought forward to this June. We need to make a big push in April and May building up to June.

It could make a direct difference to the lives of more than 100,000 disabled people in this country through providing social care – but this campaign is also really about trying to galvanize wider public support for the rights of disabled people.

We want to take it to the Government and show them actually they’re wrong, many people in this country (disabled and non-disabled) believe in good, fair support for disabled people to live their lives.

At the same time, this campaign is about trying to show there are lots of people in Britain with shared values of fairness and freedom, and we want to live up to those values by making sure disabled people can live their lives like everyone else.

We want to challenge the Government by showing them.

There are two main ways to get involved:

- Upload a photo saying “I care!” or “We care!” at  www.britaincares.co.uk  where you can email it to your MP with a message

- If you have experience of the importance of social care yourself, please share your story with your MP – we urgently need to get them to understand more about the importance of social care against the backdrop of all the other cuts – further details to be found here

Please do have a look, it’s live online now and with a first big moment around 30 April,  to coincide with two All-Party Parliamentary Groups who will be coming out with their report on social care for working age disabled people.

If you’re interested and could help share/support in any way once it’s up and running, that would be enormously appreciated.

It’s not just a Scope campaign – other charities, organisations and others are getting behind it too, we want to make this as broad a church as possible.

You can contact Joe Hall at Scope for any more information or materials: joe.hall@scope.org.uk

Carers UK: Research reveals over 2 million quit work to care

Press release from Carers UK

Government and employers must step-up support for families as survey reveals shocking impact of caring on workforce.

A staggering 2.3 million adults have given up work to care for an elderly parent, disabled or seriously ill loved ones, Carers UK and business forum Employers for Carers (EfC) today reveal.

A Carers UK/YouGov Poll shows just over 1 in 5 UK adults have seen their work negatively impacted as a result of caring (22%), including 2.3 million1 who have quit work and almost 3 million2 who have reduced working hours.

The impact was highest amongst 45-54 year olds, where more than 1 in 4 reported that caring had taken a toll on their work (27%).

Carers UK has pointed to the impact on family finances of giving up work or cutting working hours – including the risk of financial hardship and

All Party Parliamentary Group for Carers – draft minutes

All Party Parliamentary Group for Carers

Co-Chairs: Baroness Jill Pitkeathley and

Sir Tony Baldry MP

Draft Minutes: Tuesday 15th January 2013

Present

Baroness Jill Pitkeathley (Chair), Barbara Keeley MP, Baroness Wheeler, Baroness Howe, Baroness Lister, Dr Eilidh Whiteford MP and Dr Hywel Francis MP.

In attendance

Emily Holzhausen, Carers UK; Steve McIntosh, Carers UK; Chloe Wright, Carers UK, Emma Smale, Carers Trust; Michael Shann, Carers UK; Philippa Russell, Standing Commission on Carers; Professor David Croisdale-Appleby; John Bangs, Surrey County Council; Kirsty Slack, Carers Trust; Scott Sinclair, Marie Curie Cancer Care; Claire O’Neill, Marie Curie Cancer Care; Lauren Bowman, Adfam.

Apologies

Apologies received: Sir Tony Baldry MP, Hywel Williams MP, Russell Brown MP and Robert Walter MP

Minutes of the last meeting

Agreed.

Policy updates

Baroness Jill Pitkeathley introduced the meeting’s speakers and briefly outlined the changes coming in as a result of

Shameless onslaught on carers

 

 

CarerWatch members are outraged having learned of the latest details in a briefing paper recently released by DWP, Personal Independence Payment and Carer’s Allowance, that will affect many carers. Details as confirmed by Esther McVey, Minister for Disabled People -

“Latest estimates project there will be a net reduction of 9,000 recipients of CA (where benefit is in payment) by the end of 2018 as a consequence of reassessment for PIP”

As the above will be the result of a person needing care having lost their Disability Living Allowance, the impact on family’s incomes will be immense. This double blow will especially hit hard those families on the poverty line.

Add to this the introduction of bedroom tax, cuts to local services; we feel this shameless onslaught from the government has shown a total disregard for the services provided by carers. Services estimated to be £119billion per annum

Our society would not function without the care currently provided by unpaid carers and the consistent refusal by Governments to improve Carers lives has ripple effects throughout Social Services and the NHS. Precious few people receive the actual support they need and so many carers are just not receiving vital services and support.

These cuts contradict findings in the Breakthrough Britain report, undertaken by The Centre for Social Justice (CSJ), which was established as an independent think-tank by the Rt Hon Iain Duncan Smith MP, now the present Secretary of State for Works and Pensions.

It said –

“The low level of Carer’s Allowance discourages people from providing care to family members. It is one of the lowest forms of benefit available but it there is a high level of expectation in terms of work, in return”

Removing Carers Allowance from 9000 (projected no.) people will result in less families being able to provide care.

Therefore, we call on Iain Duncan Smith, Secretary of State for Works and Pensions, to look past his fantasy and wishful thinking for these welfare reforms, and look at the reality of what these cuts and reforms are actually doing to many people with disabilities/ill health and their carers.

 

Update – Campaign for Benefit Justice

.Come and have your say (details here)

7pm   Thursday 14^th February 2013

at Camden Town Hall, Council Chamber

Judd St, WC1H 9JE

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UPDATE

Further information received. Please share with your networks.

Campaign for Benefit Justice

Cuts in benefit are an unjust attack on the poor and they must stop. People are already being driven into debt, hunger and homelessness. From April millions more will be hit by the Bedroom tax, cuts in council tax benefit, ending Disability Living Allowance and further vicious cuts. In one of the richest countries in the world, the rise of food banks, destitution and poverty is not acceptable. People receiving benefits did not cause the banking and economic crisis and we do not accept them being scapegoated to pay for it.

The Campaign for Benefit Justice, a network of grassroots campaigns fighting the Tory attacks invites

WOW petition to be launched tomorrow

WOW website

Tuesday the 18th December at 8 PM GMT -

a confederation known to Twitter as “WOW Petitition” will discuss a nationwide fight back against the “War on Welfare.”

A creature of the information and internet age, WOW Petition and related information are accessed through the Net.

Countdown here

Full details available tomorrow

This coincides with a debate in Westminster Hall tomorrow arranged by Ian Mearns MP

Live debate – Effects of welfare reform on disabled people

Westminster Hall
Meeting starts on Tuesday 18 December  at 2.30pm

Private Members’ Debate:
Effects of welfare reform on disabled people, their carers and families – Ian Mearns

Once started you can watch live here

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The program of welfare reform and cuts is proceeding with alarming momentum and the needs of carers  and  disabled people are being lost in the fiscal crisis. 

CarerWatch urge those participating in this debate to please look past the fantasy and wishful thinking - to the reality of what these cuts and reforms are actually doing to many individuals/families.

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What would be your message to government ?

Are you affected by welfare reform, cuts to services, closure of Independent Living Fund, changes to Council Tax benefit, changes within NHS -  and many more…..

You have a blank canvas, can address it to any Minister of your choosing.

You can ask a question or make a statement.

What would be on YOUR canvas? Add comments below

Please note some of the comments will be used by CarerWatch

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Please sign Pat’s Petition here

Then share the link asking as many others to do the same.

http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/20968

 

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CarerWatch response to Social Care White Paper

CarerWatch  members are outraged that the Coalition government has failed to address one of the most important factors of Social care, that is funding of any future system. The release of the White Paper for Social Care was akin to a damp squib. It promised so much but delivered so little.

The care system is breaking now and it was vital that this paper brought forth real solutions to real problems. By failing to explore the funding of care in full they have missed a golden opportunity to bring about true reform, and consequently have severely compromised what this White Paper will be able to achieve.

In this climate of benefit cuts, care charges increasing, tightening eligibility criteria – concerns are growing on how people will pay for their care.

This White Paper does nothing to alleviate those worries.

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Stop and review the cuts to benefits and services which are falling disproportionately on disabled people, their carers and families

Sign petition here and share asking others to do same

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