Merton CIL has written to the borough's two Members of Parliament to urge them to support changes to make social care charges fair. The government has put forward the Health and Care Bill which will bring in a range of changes to adult social care. Merton CIL believes that there should not be charges for social care services, in the same way there are no changes for health services and has written to local MPs Stephen Hammond and Siobhain McDonagh to urge them to support changes to the Bill to at least make the current system fairer and to look at ending charges altogether.

Research has shown that Deaf and Disabled people face a higher cost of living because of their impairments/conditions. We may need to keep our homes warmer, run the washing machine more often, pay for care/support or run a car. Some of these costs cannot be avoided for many Deaf and Disabled people. And, these costs are going up.

Merton CIL will close for the holiday season on Friday 24th Dec 2020 at 2pm. We will reopen on Tuesday 4th Jan 2022 from 9am.

Help us raise money to keep our important work going in 2022 and be in with the chance of winning a hamper with over 15 goodies inside. Enter by 5pm on 22nd Dec 2021.

Merton CIL has expressed concern about the lack of consideration of accessible housing in the Council's consultation on its housing strategy which covers how new housing will be delivered in the borough.

Merton CIL is disappointed to learn that plans for step-free access at Haydons Road Station have been blocked by Govia Thameslink because of concerns it would lead to vandalism and anti-social behaviour.

Over the past year, there has been lots of evolving and adapting happening at Merton CIL. In this edition we update you on the updates to our services and urge member to get in touch. We are keen to hear from our members about how we are doing and if there is anything that we can improve. You can find out more on page 9.

Merton CIL has published a new report about Deaf and Disabled people's experiences of the Covid 19 pandemic and lockdowns in the borough. The report details the impact the situation had on Deaf and Disabled people in Merton from early 2020 through to mid-2021 when restrictions started to ease.

The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) has launched an inquiry into people's experiences of challenging or trying to challenge council decisions about adult social care. This includes decisions about whether people are entitled to support from adult social care and what type of and how much support they get.

Merton CIL has heard from Disabled people who live on streets that have been made into school safety zones are having problems. While people with Blue Badges can use the streets without problems, we have heard from people who have carers visiting them who have been fined and who have had difficulties getting taxis and cabs to pick them up during the times that the roads are closed to most traffic.