Monthly Archives: January 2012
Selsey carers support and care for one another
Selsey supporters show value of caring for others
Caring for the carers is the philosophy of an extremely active group in Selsey – and its members want to reach out to help more of the ‘hidden carers’ who can often become isolated and have their dedicated efforts overlooked.
The Selsey and District Carers Support Group was set up in August 2000. Janet Harris MBE, the recently-deceased founder, started the group in her home, initially because she found herself so isolated when her husband became ill.
As she explained: “I discovered, like most fulltime carers, how incredibly lonely, exhausting, frightening, frustrating and thankless the situation can become with no support, help or advice for either my husband or myself.
“I did not choose to become a full-time carer; it happened overnight and out of necessity.”
Lords back disability benefit shake-up
The government has headed off a House of Lords defeat over plans to replace the Disability Living Allowance.
17 January 2012 Last updated at 20:25
Ministers want to amend the system to make sure claimants have more medical tests, but opponents say this will mean 500,000 people will lose benefits.
A proposal to delay the scheme by carrying out an extended pilot project before it is implemented across the country was beaten by 16 votes.
The government suffered three Lords defeats on the issue last week.
Introduced in 1992 to help disabled people cope with the extra costs they face in their daily lives, Disability Living Allowance is paid to two million people of working age.
Deficit
If you are caring for relatives, you deserve the Government’s help
More than 6 million people care for family, friends and neighbours in Britain. It is time to support them, says Chris Skidmore.
By Chris Skidmore
3:58PM GMT 17 Jan 2012
The debate on social care so far has quite rightly been centred on how we fund care in the years to come, faced with an aging population and greater life expectancy. This was the main thrust of the Dilnot Commission’s report, and will be at the heart of the Government’s upcoming White Paper on the future of social care.
