Merton CIL supports calls to end charges for home care

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.

 

'Charges for social care amount to a tax on disability and we need to get them removed,’ says Merton CIL’s Policy and Strategy Manager, Michael Turner. ‘We realise it might take some time to achieve this and in the meantime, we must at least make the current system fairer and easier.’

Merton CIL has asked the MPs to look towards ensuring that people do not have to use their benefits to pay for social care and that anyone who is Disabled when they become 18 does not have to pay for care, and to look at the overall aim of removing charges.

The letters were sent in support of the Scrap Care Charging Coalition - https://www.scrapcarecharges.com/who-we-are

As well as supporting this national campaign, Merton CIL has ongoing discussions about local policy and practice with the Council.