Readers of the letter page, including myself must bewildered by the different financial amounts being quoted in letters about the cuts to adult social care.
It was helpful therefore to read the paper produced by Merton Council on the adult social care budget published on 12/12/2014.
Central Government has reduced funding to all local authorities in order to reduce the public deficit. Merton Council has to save a further £32 m between 2015 and 2019. The council has agreed that adult social care should save over £9m of this and in addition a further £4m should come from its budget for 2015-16. This adds up to the £14m of cuts to the adult social care budget quoted by disability groups in the borough. The paper also points out that adult social care services had already saved over £16 m between 2011 and 2015.
What is not clear is why over a third of the savings Merton Council has to make should come from adult social services, in particular from closing the Merton Adult Access team. Residents who need help from social services will have to ask Merton link who will add this to dealing with enquiries about parking, rubbish collection, housing etc or have to ask a voluntary body. Day services for people with learning disabilities are to be cut and 11 members of staff will be made redundant. "Care packages "for elderly frail people and long term physically and mentally ill will also be cut by 5 per cent -15 per cent.
It is difficult to understand why adult social services should have its budget cut by one third, saving money at the expense of the most vulnerable people in Merton. Is this permissible under equality legislation which promotes an inclusive society? We are told that Merton has £100 m in reserves. What is this for? Merton will spend £10m on a new swimming pool in the next two years, the theatre car park is to be redeveloped and Wimbledon Broadway road system is to be remodelled. Could money be saved by postponing some of these projects?
The council receives money from central Government for the Independent Living Fund to enable people with disabilities to live as independently as possible. This is not ring fenced. We ask that it should be. Merton also receives a carers respite grant from central Government. Again it is not ring fenced . Carers in Merton receive £100 towards respite care. Carers in other boroughs receive £250.
Councillors please look again at the budget.
Laura Johnson
Joint volunteer organiser Merton and Sutton Rethink Mental Illness
Church Path
Merton Park
- Send your letters to: letters@wimbledonguardian.co.uk
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