Monday 23^rd March 2020

Dear Ed Davey,

We are writing to ask you to take action in the House of Commons, as the Member of Parliament for Kingston & Surbiton, to protect many thousands of Disabled people who rely on support from social care services.

The emergency legislation, known as the Coronavirus Bill, being discussed in Parliament today could pose a real danger to Disabled people. The Government’s plans for Disabled children and adults during the Coronavirus crisis will set back thirty years of progress for Disabled people. The proposals also come at a time when many Disabled people have experienced years of cuts to their support.

The Government intends to remove Disabled people’s entitlement to social care.  This will mean local authorities will no longer be legally required to provide support to people who they already recognised as needing it.  According to the Government, this is to ensure local authorities can prioritise and meet the needs in new cases.  This way of dealing with the crisis relating to COVID-19 will have considerable and devastating consequences immediately, and in the long run. This Government’s plans will not only fail to relieve pressure off the NHS, but put lives at risk.

The Government has made more funding available. There is no need to remove the entitlement to social care for those who already receive it, and rely on it for their health and safety.  The Bill will make it easier to detain and treat people involuntarily under the Mental Health Act. The number of people who are detained has grown significantly in the last few years.  Detention will be a severe interference with a person’s fundamental human rights to liberty and freedom. Additionally, detaining people will cost the NHS more money. Instead of making it easier to detain people, more support should be put to help people in the community.

We urge you to take action on this, for the good of many vulnerable people in Kingston.

Kind regards,

Kingston & Surbiton Labour