PRTC Trustees - Is this really a New Deal???

Replies

By JeanM

Re: PRTC Trustees - Is this really a New Deal???
Sat 31 Mar 2007 22:34

Just to keep this one flagged up as those are very good questions that deserve a reply/

By Pysie

Re: PRTC Trustees - Is this really a New Deal???
Mon 2 Apr 2007 11:36

In addition to my questions above, would the trustees of the PRTC also please ask the British government on behalf of carers: -

4. Why have prescription charges been abolished in Wales when they have been increased to £6.85 per item in England?

It is not my intention to be provocative. These are not political questions but rather questions of fairness, justice and 'human rights'.

For many carers like myself, our Carers Allowance is our only source of income. Many of us can't work because we are full-time carers and have savings - our pensions - which prevent us from claiming Income Support or 'Help with Health Costs'. This latest move by the British government to sanction the abolition of prescription charges in Wales is another discriminatory action against carers in England.

I look forward to a ful reply to these questions from the Trustees.

Pysie

 

By Michele

Re: PRTC Trustees - Is this really a New Deal???
Tue 3 Apr 2007 11:00

Hi Pysie,

Please find below a response to your questions from Alex Fox, Assistant Director (Service Development).

Dear Pysie

Thanks very much for your messages about the 'new deal' for carers. We completely agree with you that we are here to represent your views to government so it’s always very helpful to hear what you want us to say to them.

We get our views across to the government wherever we can. We believe that this is often best achieved through looking for common ground rather than outright confrontation and we try to pick our battles carefully, according to what carers have told us are the issues they most want us to change. Although the new deal for carers is not, by a long way, the whole solution we are pleased that Gordon Brown is showing that he is keen to offer more to carers.

We welcome the new money for emergencies, the money for the Expert Carer Programme to help carers cope better with caring, and the money for the national helpline. We are glad that part of the 'new deal' is the announcement of a new Carers Strategy, to update the 1999 strategy. We are keen to hear from carers about what you would like to see in the new strategy and we will pass your views on to the Department of Health.

We agree with you that the level of carer’s allowance is far too low. It does not get close to representing the true value of carers. This is an issue that we keep raising. It will take a lot of effort of to change, because doing so would involve a large cost to the taxpayer – a cost we argue would be balanced out by the savings to the country of carers being able to continue to care safely, healthily and with dignity.

We are also very concerned that Carers Grant, which makes a big contribution to the funding of many carers' centres across England and Wales, is scheduled to end next year. We know that even now, not every council uses all of its Carers Grant on supporting carers, because Carers Grant is not 'ring fenced'.

As well as continuing to let us know your views on the messages we need to give to government, it can be very useful to put these points to your local MP. They will often be willing to ask parliamentary questions on your behalf, which can have a powerful effect, especially if several carers across the country are all raising similar issues with their MPs.

You can also ask them to write to your local council asking how strongly the council is committed to supporting its local carers’ services, and whether they will continue to do so if the Carers Grant ends as scheduled.

We hope this response has been helpful – please let us know what you think.

By SocialHeretic

Re: PRTC Trustees - Is this really a New Deal???
Tue 3 Apr 2007 18:54

Interestings observations ........ perhaps carers would like to give their views as to what is happening in the real world.

Eg. LA's supporting carers ...... can be found on all LA web sites ...... in reality , support services are being cut back \ discontinued \ charges introduced.

Local mps ....... those of the ruling party tend to have a bog standard reply ( if replying at all ) praising the government for the additional support given to carers ........ in reality , many more are now living well below the accepted breadline.

Carers centres ? Fine ..... for those able to attend. Does nothing for the increasing number of 24 \ 7 carers.

The reason why carers are not " a priority " for special attention is that noone is contfronting the government ..... merely continuing to allow carers to swing in the wind.

To understand the plight of carers , one needs to be a carer and experience said plight first hand.

Not critisism , just observations of a lone 24 \ 7 carer.

By SocialHeretic

Re: PRTC Trustees - Is this really a New Deal???
Tue 3 Apr 2007 19:16

Not to belabour a point , I quote directly from the self appointed Voice of Carers in response to the DRC ( Disability Rights Commission ) Report just 6 weeks ago :

Failure to invest in support for families is driving millions into poverty and, unless urgently reformed, will create new patterns of widening inequality and disadvantage that Britain can ill-afford. That's the message being delivered today by Sir Bert Massie, Chairman of the Disability Rights Commission (DRC), and backed by Carers UK.

By wildthing

Re: PRTC Trustees - Is this really a New Deal???
Wed 4 Apr 2007 01:12

We believe that this is often best achieved through looking for common ground rather than outright confrontation

Simply suggestion to the government will not work, ever, they will say to themselves that carers are weak and gullible whereas outright confrontation may make the government sit up and take notice.
This, previous and future governments have and will continue to take advantage of carers unless we do something about it, charities can do nothing as they cannot fight for a change in the law as this is against the charity commission rules

By Dawn Raider

Re: PRTC Trustees - Is this really a New Deal???
Fri 6 Apr 2007 22:37

In response to:
>3. Why is the BRITISH government refusing to implement laws in ENGLAND similar to those it has supported in Scotland to provide free care for the elderly and to safeguard their homes? (Ditto student grants as an aside.) <

It was nothing to do with the UK government, and they didnt support it. It was the settled will of the Scottish people, and we spend out money the way the choose to spend it. If you hadn't noticed, Scotland has a coalition government and these were Lib_Dem policies negotiated with the minority Labour party to keep them in power. Moral of the story? Should be obvious....
>In other words, why are my taxes paid in England, and those of my family, used to support people in Scotland when that support is beyond our reach?<
a) Why does Scotland host your nuclear submarines? b) Why do Scots form a disproportionate number of English armed forces overseas? c) Why arent the English freezing in the dark:
Answers: a) because defense is still a UK issue.
b) because London and the SE of England likes to keep all the civil service jobs down south so many Scots are forced into the army through poverty
c: Because the Scots export huge amounds of oil, gas, coal, hydro and nuclear power at very advantageous rates to keep the English warm in their beds!

As for an English Parliament, I'm all in favour, I cant really figure out why you arent all screaming for one, given the clear success of the Scottish and Welsh assemblies.

However, the next step is obvious - determine social security benefits at Scottish level, not UK level.

By Pysie

Re: PRTC Trustees - Is this really a New Deal???
Sat 7 Apr 2007 10:34

Hi, Dawn,

Please don't think I am 'having a go' at Scotland. I adore Scotland and the Scottish people, and I I greatly admire the Scottish Parliament. (Ditto Wales and N Ireland.) My grouse is with the UK Parliament! And yes, I can't understand why we are not screaming for an English Parliament. (I suspect it is because there are not enough English people in England - they've all gone to Oz, NZ and Spain!!!)

Anyway, this isn't really the place to discuss politics but please let me make a few observations.

The document, 'Funding the Scottish Parliament, Nat Assembly for Wales and the N Ireland Assembly, 2004' states broadly that all UK tax revenues are passed to the UK Consolidation Fund, and decisions about allocation of UK public expenditure rest with the UK Government. (This does not apply to the Scottish Variable Rate of Income Tax which is dealt with separately.) It goes on to say that, 'Changes in budgetary provision will generally be linked to changes in planned spending of comparable public services by departments of the UK Government', and it reserves the right of the UK government to alter the regional grants accordingly. So, in principle, the UK government is indirectly supporting decisions about Scottish expenditure.

In January, Oxford Economics published a document, 'Regional Contributions to UK Public Finances'. The final conclusions were that London, the SE, and Eastern England were the only parts of the UK which made a POSITIVE net contribution to UK public finances, and these areas are therefore heavilly subsidising N Ireland, Wales, Scotland, and NE England. I have no problem with that, except where it has a negative effect on the most vulnerable people in society.

So, we are in a situation where Londoners and others subsidise free care for elderly people in Scotland and free prescriptions in Wales (etc, etc,), whilst the poorest in these regions are denied a similar level of care.

My arguement is simply that social security benefits and health care should be standardised throughout the UK at the Scottish/Welsh/Irish levels, and not the other way round! But Tony Blair says the English can't afford it ....... !!!!

(By the way, I get my gas and electricity from Scottish Power. They are the cheapest in our region!)

Love,
Pysie

By charles47

Re: PRTC Trustees - Is this really a New Deal???
Sun 8 Apr 2007 16:43

The Charity Commissioners accept that political campaigning is a legitimate charitable activity with a few basic provisos, so PRTC and Carers UK CAN campaign to change the law. There is a section of the Charity Commissioner's website devoted to this - here is a brief excerpt:

"1. I understand that the Commission disapproves of political activity by charities and discourages it.Is that true?

"Not at all.

"We recognise that political campaigning is an entirely legitimate activity for a charity. It is often a highly effective means of pursuing a charitable purpose, even where the matters at issue are highly controversial. Charities have a vital role to play in society in promoting the interests of their beneficiaries and in contributing to public debate based on their experience of their beneficiaries’ needs.

For instance, the RSPCA’s long-running campaign to secure a ban on hunting with dogs was highly controversial, but the Commission accepted that both the campaign objective and the means adopted (which included emotive advertising) were proper and legitimate for an animal welfare charity.

It is important to be clear about what we mean by “political campaigning” as an activity. We use the term to refer to a charity campaigning for a change in the law or to government policy. We do not mean by it campaigning for a political party, which is never permissible for a charity. Nor do we mean campaigning to raise awareness or change the public’s behaviour, which charities are free to pursue without reference to our guidance.

2. Doesn’t the Commission’s guidance point to special restrictions on political activity by charities?
In deciding whether or not to undertake political activity, trustees must apply precisely the same principles that they must apply in considering any other possible means of carrying out the charity’s purposes.

In our guidance we explain that a charity can take part only in political activity that furthers its objects. "

Hope that clears that up, wildthing.

By SocialHeretic

Re: PRTC Trustees - Is this really a New Deal???
Sun 8 Apr 2007 17:09

It's refreshing to know that two charities are campaigning on behalf of us carers despite being confined by their charitable status , and reliance on government funding to further their objectives ( which may , or may not , be relevant to the degree of " campaigning " ).

Just one fundamental question ....... just who elected them to campaign on behalf of us X million carers ?

Again , this not a criticism , merely an observation from one 24 \ 7 lone carer somewhat concerned by the escallation of cutbacks experienced over the past 10 months leaving me in dire staits , both financially and in health , with no sign of anything in the pipeline to ease my plight.