‘Cutbacks will help council protect most vulnerable’

PEOPLE who are so ill, elderly or disabled that they have trouble preparing a meal for themselves or taking a bath will be hit by York council cuts in care services, Liberal Democrat councillors have claimed.

Such residents will now have to pay for their own care and support, and those who can’t afford to pay will have to do as best they can without, said the party’s spokesperson for health, housing and adult social services, Coun Ian Cuthbertson.

“Under changes now being recommended by Labour’s Cabinet, financial support will be withdrawn from residents with so-called ‘moderate’ needs. This group includes older people, people with learning disabilities and disabled people who receive support to help with home care services or are supported to attend day activities.”

But Coun Tracey Simpson-Laing, Labour’s cabinet member for health, housing and adult social services, said the changes would enable the council to protect those who were most vulnerable.

“We have calculated that to continue to provide services to people in the moderate, substantial and critical bands it would cost us an additional £3.7m next year, in addition to the £37m already spent on adult social care,” she said. “Removing ‘moderate’ from our eligibility criteria will not save us all of the £3.7m but it would enable us to protect those who are most vulnerable.”

Comments(12)

Torycouncil2015 says...
9:40am Fri 25 May 12

Cuts targeting the vulnerable to fund Labours vanity projects. Cllr Simpson Laing says she cant afford £3.7m to help the elderly and disabled but as a Cabinet they can afford to borrow £20million for Cllr Alexander's slush fund

perplexed says...
10:22am Fri 25 May 12

Clearly Torycouncil knows what he is talking about. After all it takes one to know one, as Levenson is making all too clear!

Silver says...
12:44pm Fri 25 May 12

If the council cannot afford this why is the 20 blanket speed limit coming in? Surely that money will be better spend giving people care.

bpk68 says...
1:10pm Fri 25 May 12

Silver wrote:
If the council cannot afford this why is the 20 blanket speed limit coming in? Surely that money will be better spend giving people care.
****, beat me to it....but good question

Jiffy says...
1:30pm Fri 25 May 12

bpk68 wrote:
Silver wrote: If the council cannot afford this why is the 20 blanket speed limit coming in? Surely that money will be better spend giving people care.
****, beat me to it....but good question
And me!!
Despite most of the city being against this plan they are ploughing ahead regardless at what cost to what end and a pointless exercise in how to waste money on something that cannot & will not be policed and will not benefit anyone.
It is again to help the few who are unable to cross the road safely when the vast majority have no problem (excuse)[ and is not needed when human care is.
Also depends what is classed as 'moderate'.
In my experience just trying to prove that somebody is eligible for assistance is a nightmare already so if they are going to change this it is surely just going to cause more red tape which will cost more in the long run!

wildthing666 says...
5:56pm Fri 25 May 12

The name isn't shortened to SS for nothing you know!

Silver says...
7:27pm Fri 25 May 12

Jiffy wrote:
bpk68 wrote:
Silver wrote: If the council cannot afford this why is the 20 blanket speed limit coming in? Surely that money will be better spend giving people care.
****, beat me to it....but good question
And me!!
Despite most of the city being against this plan they are ploughing ahead regardless at what cost to what end and a pointless exercise in how to waste money on something that cannot & will not be policed and will not benefit anyone.
It is again to help the few who are unable to cross the road safely when the vast majority have no problem (excuse)
I think we're all agreed , but also lets try a hypothesis here....
Lets say it would cost more for the care then for the whole 20 speed limit, I would rather that money helped some of them rather then none. Also isn't the average senior citizen a huge proportion of those who normally vote?

Even AndyD says...
10:24pm Fri 25 May 12

We have two disabled children and the care is absolutely fantastic. The Glen provide amazing respite care, without which, my family would struggle to function. Applefields is a superb special needs school, as was Hob Moor Oaks primary. We have an array of professionals helping us.
Probably someone will now accuse me of being a 'council stooge' - not so. But before you all sound off, maybe just think a moment about all the services the council provides and the hundreds of people it employs. They aren't all deserving of your criticism - some quite the opposite.

Silver says...
2:26am Sat 26 May 12

Even AndyD wrote:
We have two disabled children and the care is absolutely fantastic. The Glen provide amazing respite care, without which, my family would struggle to function. Applefields is a superb special needs school, as was Hob Moor Oaks primary. We have an array of professionals helping us.
Probably someone will now accuse me of being a 'council stooge' - not so. But before you all sound off, maybe just think a moment about all the services the council provides and the hundreds of people it employs. They aren't all deserving of your criticism - some quite the opposite.
Fully agree it's the councillors that are the idiots

Silver says...
2:27am Sat 26 May 12

Silver wrote:
Even AndyD wrote:
We have two disabled children and the care is absolutely fantastic. The Glen provide amazing respite care, without which, my family would struggle to function. Applefields is a superb special needs school, as was Hob Moor Oaks primary. We have an array of professionals helping us.
Probably someone will now accuse me of being a 'council stooge' - not so. But before you all sound off, maybe just think a moment about all the services the council provides and the hundreds of people it employs. They aren't all deserving of your criticism - some quite the opposite.
Fully agree it's the councillors that are the idiots
Just to add I'd rather we'd paid for the care your children get then a 20mph speed limit. If it was one or the other I'd pick that because you'd get something of benefit

YorkToff says...
2:20pm Sat 26 May 12

Told yer...they are all the same.

m dee says...
8:59pm Wed 30 May 12

If this goes ahead this council will lose many votes from disabled people and their families,the upsetting thing is as others have said they have funds for other things like the 20 zone project.

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