IF SURGEONS can now give a patient a bionic eye to improve their vision, can someone suggest a similar procedure for our Chancellor to help him see more clearly the repercussions his spending cuts are going to have on the care of older and vulnerable people in the UK?

George Osborne is looking for £20 billion of cuts, with only health, schools, defence and overseas aid protected.

It seems local authorities will again bear the brunt of those cuts and with social care not being ring-fenced, it is inevitable that a sector already cut back to the bone thanks to £3.5 billion in cuts since 2010, will suffer heavily again.

Can’t the Chancellor see that cutting the care people have in their own home and in care homes will ultimately result in more costly admissions to NHS hospitals and bed-blocking?

Can he also not see that it is madness not to protect the care of older, frail adults as he swings his axe in Whitehall as it will cost the country much more in the long run and significantly dent his deficit reduction plans?

Mike Padgham, Chair, Independent Care Group, Scarborough

 

BIT by bit, the hard-hitting aspects of George Osborne’s summer Budget are becoming accessible to the people of the land.

Evidently, the Tories’ own government impact assessment has now concluded that more than 330,000 children from low income families will be hit by Georgie boy’s harsh cuts to the welfare state.

Large families will now face reductions of between £100 and £200 a week and will force some families into food poverty, rent arrears and eviction therefore homelessness.

The Department of Work and Pensions have finally admitted via the impact assessment that single mothers will be the hardest hit with the cap on benefit payments.

More than 75 per cent of households, parents aged between 25 and 44, will be affected by the draconian Tory measures.

The new research indicates that unemployed people will not be able to live in large parts of England as the Government’s benefit cap plans threaten at least 100,000 households with homelessness and poverty.

I do hope that people who voted Tory in the May General Election are considering if they put their cross in the right box?

Howard Perry, St James Place, Dringhouses, York

 

IN reply to Howard Perry (Letters, July 14), and his letter “Punished hard by the Government”.

The newly-elected Conservative Government is not punishing families.

There is now more help with childcare; helping 30 million people cope with the cost of living by cutting their taxes; building new homes that people are able to buy and own; creating millions more new jobs that give people the chance of a better future, the Conservative Government is on the side of working people.

York is leading the way.

York’s economy has recovered strongly from the financial crash, with Job Seekers Allowance claims at their lowest in years.

It is important we stick to the long-term economic plan that will bring further recovery.

Terry Smith, Fourth Avenue, Heworth, York