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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 %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%