Category Archives: disability

Bleak outlook ahead because of the cuts to social care

May 8, 2013   Carers, dementia, disability, mental health, Older care, Social care

Extra investment ‘needed to make care cap work’

By Nick Triggle Health correspondent, BBC News

 Social-care budgets have already been squeezed in the past few years

The government’s commitment to reform social care will require greater investment, ministers have been told.

A bill limiting the cost to disabled and elderly people of their social care will form part of the government’s legislative programme for the next year, the Queen’s Speech revealed.

Previously ministers had proposed introducing a cap of £72,000 in 2016.

But campaigners and council chiefs told ministers budget cuts were already putting the system at risk.

Research by the Association of Directors of Adult Social Services (ADASS) suggests the £16bn budget for social care, including services for both elderly and disabled people, is likely to be trimmed by £800m in the next 12 months.

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Counting the cost of controversial benefit reforms

May 4, 2013   Carers, disability, Social care

Council calculates cost of welfare reform

May 3 2013 by Doug Archibald, Dumfries & Galloway Standard

The council is counting the cost of controversial benefit reforms brought in by Westminster.

A seven-strong team is being put in place to cope with changes that have implications of £2 million for the authority.

A sub-committee was briefed on the situation this week.

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“It is a human right to be empowered to communicate”

May 3, 2013   Carers, disability, internet, learning difficulties

Thousands of people in the UK may be living without access to a powered communication aid that would enable them to have a voice, according to research.

News, 3rd May 2013.

The research, Shining a Light on Augmentative and Alternative Communication, by augmentative and alternative communication (ACC) charity Communication Matters, found that 316,000 people in the UK are benefiting or may benefit from AAC support. Of those, 31,600 could be using powered communication aids yet only around 9,000 are.

The findings, which found great variation in service provision across the UK, stem from research carried out by the University of Sheffield. It highlights there is little consistency in identifying, assessing and providing AAC devices and many local areas are failing to make effective provision.

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