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For immediate release - 30 April 2010
Disability Alliance believes that the Government's care reform white paper plans announced today acknowledge the growing concern older people, disabled people and carers and represent significant progress in plans for a National Care Service (NCS).
The NCS is being designed to complete the welfare state, with support being provided to all people with care needs free at the point of delivery. This joining of the dots of the welfare state is hugely welcome to disabled people who often have no choice but to use social services - but have previously faced charges for care and been faced with mountains of bureaucracy to access essential support.
Each council's different policies for who is 'eligible' for support, service charges for care, with associated assessments and bureaucracy have made care services one of the most difficult areas of public services to navigate for disabled people, older people and their families. Vanessa Stanislas, DA Chief Executive, says:
"Only a national, standardised approach through a National Care Service will deliver support in a fair and accessible means across the country in a similar way to the NHS."
Disability Alliance chairs the Coalition on Charging, which campaigns against unfair care service charges, and is delighted that the NCS will provide greater levels of support to older and disabled people free at the point of delivery. Charges based on people's essential needs are discriminatory and cost the public purse through service avoidance requiring intensive support when crises occurred.
Andy Burnham, Secretary of State for Health's commitment to a: "National Care Service free at the point of delivery, based on need" is a significant step forward.
DA is also very pleased that the Government has committed to retaining Attendance Allowance and Disability Living Allowance. DA opposed the merging of these disability benefits into care service funding and is very pleased that these national, non-means-tested benefits will be maintained. Our members and disabled and older people across the country will emit an audible sigh of relief that the Government no longer plans to give with one hand and take with the other.
However, DA is concerned that the general election and lack of cross-party consensus on care reform risks the delivery of the Government's plans. We will be campaigning to ensure the NCS is delivered in the next parliament and hope all politicians will recognise the urgency of reform.
Vanessa Stanislas,
"Changing demographics and local council's restrictions on accessing care and support affects families across the country - and makes care reform one of the most urgent areas of public policy."
DA hopes to work with a Care Commission, to be established in the next parliament, to ensure the NCS is delivered successfully for all disabled people.
Ends.
Further information: Contact Neil Coyle, Director of Policy, Disability Alliance: ncoyle@disabilityalliance.org or 020 7247 8759.
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