winter email bulletin

7/30/2019 Winter Email Bulletin

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Email Bulletin Edition 5 winter 2013

Dear Member

I hope that you all had a good Christmas and I wishyou all a happy new year.

The New Year brings with it a new logo for HarrowMencap. Whilst we remain an independentorganisation that affiliates to national Mencap ournew logo cements our partnership relationship withNational Mencap. This means we will work more

closely together to raise awareness, increaseopportunities and promote rights for people withlearning disabilities and their families and carers.

Hardest Hit Campaign

On Monday 3rd December International Day ofDisabled People , 200 people including disabledpeople and their supporters took to the streets ofHarrow to protest that disabled people are the

hardest hit by cuts to local services and changes


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to benefits. The march jointly organised by HarrowMencap and Harrow Association of Disabled People(HAD) started from the PCT offices to the Job

Centre Plus building and concluded at the CivicCentre.

These cuts are having a devastating effect ondisabled people and their families driving them intopoverty and isolation. They are alsocounterproductive as relatively small amounts ofsupport can enable disabled people to liveindependently, cutting this support can drivedisabled people into crisis leading to moreexpensive support in the future.

While we recognise that the Government has to findsavings, we dont believe that these should be atthe expense of disabled children and adults.

You can get more information on the hardest hitcampaign herehttp://thehardesthit.wordpress.com/

PIP regulations announced

On the 13th December the Government presentedparliament with the Personal IndependencePayment (PIP) regulations.
http://thehardesthit.wordpress.com/http://thehardesthit.wordpress.com/http://thehardesthit.wordpress.com/


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Under the Welfare Reform Act, PIP will replaceDisability Living Allowance (DLA) next year. Theregulations set out that, by May 2018, 600,000

fewer people will be in receipt of PIP than wouldhave been the case under DLA 450,000 of theseare of working age.

Disabled people's minister Esther McVey told theHouse of Commons: "By reforming the system,

ensuring it is fit for the 21st century, we can use themoney we spend on disabled people moreefficiently and effectively to help those most inneed."

She added: "By October 2015 we will have

reassessed 560,000 claimants. Of those, 160,000will get a reduced award and 170,000 will get noaward. However, 230,000 will get the same or moresupport."

The reassessment timetable will also be slowerthan anticipated. New claims will be assessed for

PIP from April 2013 (in controlled areas), with anational roll out for new claims taking place fromJune 2013. October 2013 will see the start ofreassessment, but the peak period ofreassessments will be October 2015. There will bean increase in numbers getting both the enhancedrates of mobility/daily living components, comparedto high rate care/mobility for DLA.


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Whilst we welcome some of the changes and theslower rate for implementation we remain veryconcerned that the assessment criteria do not allow

for the subtleties of someones learning disability ormental health issues and the impact these have onthe different aspects of their lives.

You can find the new regulations herehttp://www.dwp.gov.uk/pip/

Harrow Mencap Membership

From the 1st April 2013 full membership will be freeto disabled people their families and carers. If you

are using our services you will automaticallybecome a full member unless you tell us that you donot want to be.

If you currently use our services you will get a letterfrom us in the next couple of months asking if youwant to be a member.

We are doing this because we believe that thepeople who use our services should have more of asay in the organisation. Many of the people who useour services already believe that they are membersof Harrow Mencap although they do not get a votein our Annual General Meeting. These changes willgive them full voting rights.
http://www.dwp.gov.uk/pip/http://www.dwp.gov.uk/pip/http://www.dwp.gov.uk/pip/


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Harrow Mencap has over 200 volunteers and inrecognition of all the work they do they will beentitled to free membership for as long as they

volunteer.

We know that lots of non-disabled people alsosupport our work and we are grateful for all thesupport they give us. They will also be able to bemembers of Harrow Mencap for an annualsubscription of 10.

Changes to Social Fund

Changes to the Social Fund as part of the WelfareReform Bill will see local councils becomeresponsible for its administration and the abolition oftwo parts of the fund - community care grants andcrisis loans.

Harrow Council is currently consulting on what thelocal scheme should look like.

We are holding a meeting so you can find out moreand have your say on Tuesday 22nd January at11am at Community Solutions 25-27 PinnerGreen


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Dont forget you can keep upwith everything we are doing by following us ontwitter @harrowmencap or Facebookhttps://www.facebook.com/?ref=home#!/pages/Harrow-Mencap/191677064210405Want to help click here-

https://mydonate.bt.com/charities/harrowmencap
https://www.facebook.com/?ref=home#!/pages/Harrow-Mencap/191677064210405https://www.facebook.com/?ref=home#!/pages/Harrow-Mencap/191677064210405https://www.facebook.com/?ref=home#!/pages/Harrow-Mencap/191677064210405https://mydonate.bt.com/charities/harrowmencaphttps://mydonate.bt.com/charities/harrowmencaphttps://mydonate.bt.com/charities/harrowmencaphttps://www.facebook.com/?ref=home#!/pages/Harrow-Mencap/191677064210405https://www.facebook.com/?ref=home#!/pages/Harrow-Mencap/191677064210405

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