Care cuts concern (From York Press)

Care cuts concern

10:32am Saturday 18th August 2012 in Letters

IN CONDEMNING social care cuts, Lynn Jeffries is to be commended for speaking out against the latest so-called consultation exercise by City of York Council (The Press, August 15).

Most proposals are nodded through without a whimper, so it is a refreshing change to see a grassroots Labour member stand up to the politburo with open criticism of the current regime.

Matthew Laverack, Lord Mayor’s Walk, York.

• THE council decision to cut social care support for people with ‘moderate’ needs is very disturbing.

This may well reduce mobility and essential basic assistance for a number of disabled and housebound people who depend on this kind of help.

It is surely wrong to make cuts at the expense of disadvantaged and vulnerable people.

Hopefully this decision will be thoroughly reconsidered and sensibly reversed.

Alexander Ogilvy, Lindsey Avenue, Acomb , York.

• THE council wants to save £390,000 on the social care bill by removing social care support from 184 people.

We disagree with the decision because the reasons behind it are flawed.

Yes, 80 per cent of councils have used the eligibility criteria for social care to try to control costs so people assessed as having “moderate” needs are no longer eligible for social care support.

Many of the York citizens who have been maintaining their independence with “moderate” support from the council will now move over a short period to having “substantial” needs as support removed.

Once their needs become “substantial” they will become eligible for social care again and will need more, not less, money to support them. An alternative approach is called Self-Directed Support; this was developed in the early part of this century and was then adopted by the previous Government.

York has been slow to roll out this new approach but a small number of people in York have benefited.

Thanks to this new approach, a young man with autism is now a full member of his community, has a full-time job, is off many of the benefits he was on before and has saved the council a substantial sum.

Don Derrett, Chief executive, self direct, York.
selfdirect.org