What is ENABLE Scotland doing to campaign against cuts?
Governments at all levels are making savings because of the problems caused by the global financial crisis. This includes restricting access to services, removing services altogether and either introducing charges or increasing existing charges. ENABLE Scotland is campaigning both nationally and locally against cuts that we believe will have a negative impact on the lives of people who have learning disabilities.
At a national level
ENABLE Scotland is challenging the UK Government’s assault on the welfare benefits system, including the proposal to reduce the total cost of Disability Living Allowance by 20%. To date we have met with a number of politicians to seek their support for amendments to the proposals that will help protect the most vulnerable and challenged the Government’s position on this issue through responses to various consultation documents.
ENABLE Scotland is also a member of many national campaigning groups including Disability Agenda Scotland, Learning Disability Alliance Scotland and the Disability Benefits Consortium. These organisations are working together to challenge cuts across Scotland and the UK.
At a local level
ENABLE Scotland has supported some very important local campaigns. In Argyll and Bute we supported the campaign against cuts to Local Area Co-ordination and following a successful lobby the local authority decided to retain 2 of the 4 LAC services. In Edinburgh members campaigned against the way the local authority put social care services out to tender – again this resulted in the local authority withdrawing their proposal. Across Moray, Dumfries and Galloway, Perth and Kinross and Argyll and Bute our local members are making their presence felt through meetings with officials, public protest and local forums.
Our current campaigns
ENABLE Scotland is currently campaigning on four main issues: