I would like to take the opportunity provided by the mailbase to promote the
work of the Coalition on Charging and its current campaign. I apologise for
the length of the message.
The Coalition on Charging is an alliance of organisations that are concerned
about the impact of community care charges on disabled and older people.
(The geographical remit of the Coalition is England and Wales, although it
works closely with disability groups in other parts of the UK.) The
Coalition believes it is wrong to charge people for essential community care
services. The current charging system is unfair and inconsistent. People
who are charged have to economise on essential daily items - their choices
are between having adequate heat, whether to eat or whether to pay for the
care they have been assessed as needing. It leaves those members of our
society, who already face high costs as a result of their disability, with
no choice but to reduce the level of service they receive. Charges put
people at risk.
Coalition Principles
The Coalition believes that essential community care services are a
fundamental human right, necessary if people are to lead independent lives
with dignity and choice. Community care services are as important as
education and therefore should be treated in the same way and provided
without charge.
Unfair Charging Policy
The current system of charging is inconsistent, difficult to understand and
fundamentally unjust. Members of the Coalition are being contacted on a
daily basis by individuals who are deeply concerned and anxious about the
amount of money they are expected to pay for community care services
essential to their daily lives.
There is no statutory requirement on local authorities to set charges for
the services they provide and they do so at their own discretion. Section
17(1) of the Health and Social Security and Social Services Act 1983 states
that charges should be "reasonable" and "practicable" for the individual to
pay. Local authorities are clearly not following the legislative guidance
on this matter and the situation is likely to deteriorate unless the issue
is urgently addressed.
The Coalition has produced a 'Charter Against Charging', which I am happy to
email to anyone who contacts me directly ([log in to unmask])
<mailto:[log in to unmask])> . It is also working towards a
'Challenge the Charge Day', when individual service users, with appropriate
advice and support, appeal against the charges they are having to face. The
final date for this is yet to be confirmed but it is expected to be
April/May time. The aim is to have so many people doing this that local and
central government are forced to address the situation. It should also
coincide with the production of an Audit Commission report on charging for
community care services.
The Coalition is urging concerned individuals and groups to support its
campaign and to help it fight against charging. If you would like to find
out more you can contact Simon Wright, (Co-ordinator of the Coalition and
also Mencap's Campaigns Officer) at: Mencap, 123 Golden Lane, London, EC1Y
0RT. Tel: 0171 696 5567. Fax: 0171 696 6930
Email: [log in to unmask]
<mailto:[log in to unmask]>
If you would like to sign up to the campaign, please send the following
information to Simon at the above email address:
Name and address
Local authority area (if within England and Wales)
State which of the following apply
Disabled person / carer / professional / parent / advocate / MP / local
councillor / civil servant / other ...
At the same time (if you wish) you can ask him to send you further
information.
The Coalition on Charging is a consortium made up of the following
organisations:
Age Concern England, Alzheimer's Disease Society, Arthritis Care, BCODP,
Brent Association of Disabled People, British Polio Fellowship, Carers
National Association, Carers Network Westminster, Contact a Family, Council
of Disabled People, Counsel and Care, Disability Alliance, Disability Wales
(Anabledd Cymru), Disablement Welfare Rights, Friends of Highfield/Lindley
SEC, George House Trust, GLAD, Hammersmith and Fulham Action for Disability,
Hampton Coalition of Disabled People, Haringey Consortium of Disabled People
and Carers, Hastings & Rother Disability Forum, HCODP, Headway National Head
Injuries Association, Help the Aged, Hillingdon Association of Voluntary
Services, MENCAP, Mencap in Wales, MIND, Multiple Sclerosis Society, NACAB,
National Centre for Independant Living, RADAR, RNIB, RNID, Scope, Scovo,
Sense, Shropshire Disability Consortium, Spinal Injuries Association,
Southwark Disablement Association, The Public Law Project, West of England
Coalition of Disabled People, WINVISABLE, 25% M.E. Group
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