More MS news articles for February 2004

Coalition on Charging Costs of Care Report

http://www.mssociety.org.uk/news_events/news/campaigns/costs_of_care.html

February 10, 2004
Multiple Sclerosis Society

Costs of Care is the latest report from the Coalition on Charging, an alliance of 200 national and local organisations who oppose the concept of charging for personal care.

Government guidance in England on fairer charging for home care is not working for many disabled people and their carers, says a report from the Coalition on Charging. The report outlines the experiences disabled people, older people and their carers in England have of the new charging policies, one year after the Government introduced guidance for local authorities on 'Fairer Charging' for non-residential care services. Many people now have no choice but to reduce the level of service they receive.

A number of people affected by MS from around the country got involved in this survey. The MS Society campaigns team is actively involved in the steering group for the coalition working with colleagues from Mencap, Scope, Disability Alliance, Age Concern, Help the Aged, British Polio Fellowship and Carers UK.

You'll see from the report that more than half of those responding to a coalition questionnaire said current policies had had a negative effect on their income and lifestyle. A similar proportion said their local authority had failed to provide enough information about changes to charging policies.

Key Findings:

A majority of service users and carers report a lack of available information from local authorities on changes to charging policies.

As a result of the new policies a number of people have had to stop or cut back on the services they need.

A majority of respondents did not find charging policies acted as a barrier to gaining employment but some respondents were deterred from seeking employment because of the impact they perceived it would have on their care package.

More than half those responding to the questionnaire said current policies had had a negative effect on their income and lifestyle.

The coalition will be sending the report to ministers, MPs and key people in social care agencies in England and makes the following recommendations to the Government about the current system in place. There is a need:

For consistent monitoring of charging policies

To place limits on increases of charges

To improve benefit advice services

For better management of debt and debt collection agencies

The coalition will be sending this report to ministers, MPs and key people in social care agencies in England.