Consultations
INDI South East aims to represent the disability sector in local and regional consultation processes for the South East. If there is a consultation that you would like support for, or would like us to gather data from other similar organisations in the region, then please contact us.
PIP criteira - your views asked on the detail
On 26 March 2012 the Department of Work and Pensions published the third consultation on the Personal Independence Payment. This consultation is open until 30 June 2012. It is called DLA reform and Personal Independence Payment – completing the detailed design and is seeking views from disabled organisations and disability organisation on the Government’s proposals on some of the benefit rules underpinning PIPs, DLA, Carer’s Allowance and Attendance Allowance. These rules will inform the development of secondary legislation. It also provides further information on policy decisions that have now been made.
We are alerting all INDI members to this consultation so that they can respond themselves, and encourage their members and service users to have their say too. The document is availalbe in a wide range of formats. It is very important that the DWP hears from as many disabled people as possible and from a diverse range of people so all conditions are considered. For further information about PIPs and the Welfare Reform Act 2012 look at the INDI tools page under Welfare Benefits.
Have your say on long term conditions strategy
The Department of Health is asking people to comment on what should be covered by the cross-government long term conditions strategy. They are drafting the strategy at the moment and plan to publish it towards the end of this year. The strategy will be a high level vision, describing how the DH want to see improvements in the lives of people with long term conditions. It will apply to England only.
The DH would like to hear from people with long term conditions, carers, and the voluntary sector. People’s experiences, both positive and negative, and their ideas about what could be done differently, are vital to make the strategy as relevant as possible. This is not a consultation so you can make a contribution about any aspect of living with a long-term condition, not just from a medical point of view. Read other people's comments and comment online on the DH website or send comments by post. The closing date for comments is 15 June.
Petitons
To halt welfare reform legislation to allow review
Pat's Petition asks for the government to stop and review all the changes to benefits that are currently proposed. The petition can be found on DirectGov e-petition site and has now reached over 36,000 signatures, making it one of the largest e-petitions. High numbers of signatures provide Ministers, MPs and Peers with evidence of the strength of feeling about the Welfare Reform Bill. There is also a facebook page and twitter page.
To stop closure of Independent Living Fund
A campaign has been launched to urge the Government to reconsider closing the ILF in 2015. The Fund currently provides funding to approx. 20,000 severely disabled people. The ILF allows people to have choices about their lives and enables disabled people to live in their own homes. The petition to seek the continuation of the ILF aims to attract 100,000 signatures.