Voluntary Groups Lose £700,000 as Labour's Care Cuts Bite

9.16.03pm UTC (GMT +0000) Wed 7th Feb 2007

500 vulnerable elderly people will lose services under Labour's plans

Lambeth Liberal Democrats have slammed Labour's latest ruthless attack on the borough's hard-pressed voluntary sector.

Proposals in Labour's Budget to Council on 28th February to cut a massive £736,000 from vital funding streams to voluntary sector organisations within Lambeth will leave many struggling for survival. The voluntary sector operates services for frail and isolated older people, those with physical and sensory disabilities and long-term health problems, adults with learning difficulties, people with mental ill-health. They also provide help and backup for the thousands of carers who are invaluable to maintaining independence and quality of life.

In a further blow, Lambeth Labour will increase hourly charges for home-care services by a massive 132% in 2007/2008 and introduce day centre charges of up to £35 a day for the first time ever. This will place Lambeth at the top of the league in London for home care charges. And to add insult to injury, the charge is actually higher than Lambeth pays contractors for the service.

And in a triple whammy Labour Lambeth now wants to raise the eligibility threshold for personal care, domestic help, day services and meals on wheels to those in Critical need only. By the Council's own estimate, this could lead to services being withdrawn from 700 vulnerable adults, 500 of them frail elderly.

Even those deemed to be at substantial risk of abuse or neglect would not be eligible under Labour's heartless Dickensian regime.

Lambeth would have the dubious distinction of being one of only two London boroughs to operate such draconian measures.

Yet Labour councillor's cold-hearted approach to the sick, elderly and vulnerable of Lambeth contrasts starkly with their own 'special responsibility' pay awards approved only a few months ago.

Liberal Democrat Group Chair, Cllr Brian Palmer, said, "It is no wonder that Labour councillors are being bombarded with pleas from voluntary groups and angry letters from carers who cannot understand why such vital work is so undervalued by politicians who have only just awarded themselves obscenely high pay rises."

Cllr Palmer added, " We will be calling on Labour backbenchers support us to vote against these heartless measures which will have such a devastating effect on those residents least able to fend for themselves."

Liberal Democrats will oppose the cuts at Council on February 28th.

Show your anger at the Care Cuts by attending Full Council on 28th February.